SECRET  AGENT 


JOHN  T.  MCINTYRE 


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“who  brought  the  news  ?’ 


ASHTON-KIRK 
SECRET  AGENT 


By  JOHN  T.  McINTYRE 


Author  of 

*^Ashton-Kirk,  Investigator^* 


WITH  FRONTISPIECE  BY 

RALPH  L.  BOYER 


A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY 

Publishers  New  York  | 

\l 

1 

r - Ji 


COPYRIGHT 
1913  BY 
THE  PENN 
PUEIISHIN6 
COMPANY 


First  printing,  August,  1912 
Second  printing,  November,  1913 
Third  printing,  August,  1913 
Fourth  printing,  February,  1918 


Ash  ton- Kirk  Secret  Agent 


/ & J a ^ 


A 

To 

Helen  Ray 


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•$ 

'ki'''-  '''' ' 

W:  W 


I fttroduction 


Those  who  have  read  “ Ashton- Kirk,  Investi- 
gator'’ will  recall  references  to  several  affairs  in 
which  the  United  States  government  found  the 
investigator’s  unusual  powers  of  inestimable 
service.  In  such  matters,  tremendous  interests 
often  stand  dangerously  balanced,  and  the  most 
delicate  touch  is  required  if  they  are  not  to  be  sent 
toppling.  As  Ashton-Kirk  has  said  : 

“ When  a crisis  arises  between  two  of  the  giant 
modern  nations,  with  their  vast  armies,  their  swift 
fleets,  their  dreadful  engines  of  war,  the  hands 
which  control  their  affairs  must  be  steady,  secret, 
and  sure.  Otherwise  an  unthinkable  horror  might 
be  brought  about.” 

It  frequently  happens  that  such  a crisis  arises, 
the  issue  is  joined  and  fought  out  to  the  bitter 
end,  and  the  watchful  public  press  never  gets  even 
a hint  of  it.  Indeed,  if  the  secret  archives  of  the 
nations  were  thrown  open  for  inspection,  a long 
series  of  appalling  dangers  would  be  shown  to 
have  been  passed  by  each — dangers  arising  from 
small  and  apparently  remote  things,  but  capable 
of  swift  and  deadly  growth. 

Experience,  steady  courage,  and  sure  talent  are 

5 


6 


INTRODUCIION 


required  in  dealing  with  such  things ; and  these 
qualities  Ashton- Kirk  possesses  in  abundance.  To 
be  sure,  the  departments  of  the  government  have 
the  “ Secret  Service  ” at  their  hand  ; but  the 
specialist  is  called  in  when  the  general  practitioner 
is  at  a loss,  and  he  is  as  much  a part  of  the  struc- 
ture as  his  regularly  employed  colleague. 

The  adventure  of  the  present  story  is  only  one 
of  many  to  be  told  of  Ashton-Kirk. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Some  Peculiar  Circumstances  . . 1 1 

II.  Ashton-Kirk  Goes  to  Eastbury  . 33 

III.  An  International  Affair  . . 50 

IV.  The  Taking  Off  of  Dr.  Morse  . 64 

V.  The  Hound  Strikes  the  Trail  . 76 

VI.  The  Visit  of  Okiu  ....  89 

VII.  The  Methylene  Stain  . . . loi 

VIII.  The  House  ON  Fordham  Road  . . 116 

IX.  Okiu  Once  More  . . . .126 

X.  Some  Startling  Intelligence  . . 135 

XI.  A Ray  of  Light  . . . .144 

XII.  Karkowsky  Gets  Some  Attention  . 157 

XIII.  Old  Nanon  Speaks  ....  167 

XIV.  Okiu  Writes  a Letter  . . .176 

XV.  Almost! 181 

XVI.  In  the  Dark 195 

XVI I.  The  Silhouettes  . ■ . . . 204 

XVIII.  Gone.! 214 

XIX.  The  Taxi-cab 223 

XX.  Fresh  Developments  . . . 240 

XXL  The  Man  With  the  Decoration  . 247 

7 


8 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

XXII.  The  German  Embassy  Ball 
XXIII.  What  Von  Stunnenberg  Thought  . 

XXIV.  Surprised  ! 

XXV.  Caught  ! 

XXVI.  The  Truth  . . . . . 

XXVII.  Conclusion  . . • . . 


PAGE 

256 

276 

284 

295 

308 

321 


Ashton-Kirk,  Secret  Agent 


CHAPTER  I 

Some  Peculiar  Circumstances 

Fuller  studied  the  heavy,  decided  signature 
at  the  bottom  of  the  typed  page ; then  he  laid  the 
letter  upon  the  table. 

“ One  who  judges  character  by  handwriting,” 
said  he,  “would  probably  think  the  secretary  a 
strong  man.” 

Ashton- Kirk  took  the  stem  of  the  long  German 
pipe  from  between  his  lips. 

“ From  your  tone,”  said  he,  “ you  do  not  so 
consider  him.” 

Fuller  was  looking  down  at  the  letter. 

“ With  that  looking  me  in  the  face,  how  can  I ? 
Here  is  a matter  of  tremendous  importance — one 
of  the  most  guarded  secrets  of  the  government  is 
endangered.  Yesterday,  in  what  was  undoubtedly 
a panic,  he  wired  you,  begging  help.  Then,  al- 
most immediately  after,  he  weakens  and  writes, 
requesting  you  to  do  nothing.” 

Thick  clouds  arose  from  the  Coblentz ; the 


II 


1 2 ASHTON-KIRK 

smoker  snuggled  down  into  the  big  chair  lux-  ^ 
uriously. 

“ And  from  these  things,”  said  he,  “ you  draw 
that  he  lacks  force?” 

“Yes;  he  quit  before  even  catching  a glimpse 
of  the  end.” 

There  was  a moment’s  silence,  and  then  the 
secret  agent  spoke. 

“ There  are  times,”  remarked  he,  “ when  it  is 
not  altogether  desirable  to  catch  that  glimpse.” 

He  blew  out  a veil  of  smoke  and  watched  it  idly 
for  a moment.  “ It  is  possible,  in  pushing  a thing 
to  the  end,”  he  added,  “ to  force  an  entirely  unex- 
pected result.  Take  for  example  the  case  of  the 
Molineux  chaplet,  some  little  time  since.  Could 
there  have  been  more  fire,  more  determination 
than  that  exhibited  by  old  Colonel  Molineux  jji 
this  room  when  he  brought  the  matter-,  to  our  at-  ' 
tention  ? And  yet,  when  I showed  him  that  10s 
own  daughter  was  the  thief,  he  instantly sub- 
sided.” 

Fuller  regarded  his  employer  with  questioning 
eyes. 

“ You  think,  then,  that  some  one  concerned  in 
the  government  has  been  found  but  as ” - 

But  the  other  stopped  him. 

“ Sometimes,”  said  he,  “ we  are  even  more  anx- 
ious to  spare  an  enemy  than  a friend.  And  the 
reason  usually  is  that  we  do  not  care  to  force  the 


SECRET  AGENT 


13 

said  enemy  into  such  a position  that  his  only  re- 
source would  be  an  open  blow.” 

“ Ah  1 ” Fuller’s  eyes  widened.  “ They  hesi- 
tate because  they  fear  to  bring  about  a war.”  He 
looked  at  the  secret  agent,  the  question  in  his  face 
growing.  “ But  with  whom  ? ” 

Ashton-Kirk  put  aside  the  pipe  and  got  up. 

“ For  years,”  said  he,  “ the  specialists  of  the 
Navy  Department  have  been  secretly  working 
upon  a gun  designed  to  throw  a tremendous  ex- 
plosive. That  it  was  delicate  work  was  shown 
by  the  quality  of  the  men  employed  upon  it ; and 
that  it  was  dangerous  was  proven  by  the  lives  lost 
from  time  to  time  in  the  experiments.  Six  months 
ago  the  invention  was  completed.  The  news 
leaked  out,  and  naturally  the  powers  were-inter- 
ested.  Then  to  the  dismay  of  the  heads  of  the 
department  it  was  learned  that  a most  formidable 
plan  to  obtain  possession  of  the  secret  had  been 
balked  by  the  merest  chance.  The  agents  of  the 
government  were  at  once  put  to  work ; not  satis- 
fied with  this,  the  secretary  wired  me  to  come  to 
•^Washington  at  once.  But  I was  in  no  haste  to  do 
so,  because  I foresaw  what  would  happen.” 

The  questioning  look  in  Fuller’s  eyes  increased. 

“ I knew  that  the  agents  of  a foreign  govern- 
ment laid  the  plan,”  proceeded  Ashton-Kirk. 
‘‘Who  else  would  desire  information  upon  such 
a point  ? And  at  this  time  there  is  but  one  gov  • 


i4  ASHTON-KIRK 

eminent  sufficiently  interested  in  us  to  go  so 
far.  ’ 

“ You  mean ” 

Ashton-Kirk  yawned  widely  and  then  asked : 

' Have  you  seen  the  morning  papers?” 

“ Yes.” 

“ Perhaps  you  noticed  a speech  by  Crosby,  the 
Californian,  in  Congress.  Rather  a slashing  af- 
fair. He  continues  to  demand  a permanent  fleet 
for  the  Pacific  and  increased  coast  defenses.” 

The  windows  were  open ; the  high-pitched  com- 
plaint from  the  mean  street  drifted  up  and  into  the 
room.  A bar  of  sunlight  shot  between  two  up- 
rearing  brick  bulks  across  the  way ; it  glittered 
among  the  racks  of  polished  instruments,  slipped 
along  the  shelves  of  books  and  entered  at  the 
door  of  the  laboratory;  here  the  vari-colored 
chemicals  sparkled  in  their  round-bellied  prisons  ■ 
the  grotesque  retorts  gleamed  in  swollen  satisfcu 
tion. 

A knock  came  upon  the  door,  and  Stumph, 
Ashton-Kirk’s  grave-faced  man  servant,  entered 
with  a card. 

“ It  is  the  gentleman  who  called  yesterday  while 
you  were  out,”  said  Stumph. 

The  secret  agent  took  the  card  and  read : 

“ Mr.  Philip  Warwick.” 

“ He  asked  me  to  say,”  proceeded  Stumph,  “ that 
his  business  is  urgent  and  important.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


15 

' Let  him  come  up.” 

Stumph  went  out.  Fuller  began  fingering  a 
packet  of  documents  which  he  took  from  the  table. 

“ 1 suppose,”  said  he,  “ that  I may  as  well  file 
these  Schofield-Dempster  papers  away.” 

“ Yes,  the  matter  is  finished,  so  far  as  we  are  con- 
cerned. It  was  interesting  at  first,  but  I’m  rather 
glad  to  be  rid  of  it.  The  piquancy  of  the  situation 
was  lost  when  the  ‘ forgeries  ’ were  found  to  have 
been  no  forgeries  at  all ; and  the  family  despair  is 
a trifle  trying.” 

“ Mr.  Philip  Warwick,”  said  the  low  voice  of 
Stumph,  a few  moments  later. 

A big,  square-shouldered  young  man  entered 
the  room ; he  had  thick,  light  colored  hair  and 
wide  open  blue  eyes.  That  he  was  ai^  Englishman 
was  unmistakable.  For  a moment  he  seemed  in 
doubt  as  to  whom  he  should  address ; but  Fuller 
indicated  his  employer  and  the  caller  bowed  his 
thanks. 

“ Sir,”  said  he,  “ if  I am  intruding,  I ask  your 
pardon.  I was  directed  to  you  by  Professor 
Hutchinson  of  Hampden  College,  with  whom  I 
have  become  acquainted  through  our  mutual  in- 
terest in  the  Oriental  languages.” 

“ Ah,  yes.  Hutchinson  is  a very  old  friend  of 
mine,  a splendid  fellow,  and  a fine  judge  of  tobacco. 
Will  you  sit  down  ? ” 

“ Thank  you.” 


ASHTON-KIRK 


i6 

Mr.  Philip  Warwick  sat  down,  and  looked  very 
big  and  strong  and  ill  at  ease.  There  was  a per- 
plexed expression  upon  his  handsome  face  ; but  he 
said,  quietly  enough : 

“ I take  this  occasion,  Mr.  Ashton-Kirk,  to  ex- 
press my  appreciation  of  your  book  upon  the 
Lithuanian  language.  I spent  some  years  in  the 
Baltic  provinces^  and  am  fairly  familiar  with  the 
tongue.” 

Ashton-Kirk  smiled,  well  pleased. 

“ A number  of  people  have  been  good  enough 
to  notice  that  little  book,”  said  he,  “ though  when 
I wrote  it  I did  not  expect  it  to  get  beyond  my 
own  circle.  You  see,  the  Lithuanians  have  grown 
rather  thick  in  this  section  of  the  city ; and  the 
great  similarity  between  their  language  and  the 
Sanskrit  interested  me.” 

“ The  work,”  said  the  young  Englishman,  “ is 
very  complete.  But,”  and  his  voice  lowered  a 
trifle,  “ much  as  I am  delighted  with  it,  still,  that 
is  not  why  I have  ventured  to  call  upon  you.” 

“ No?  ” The  secret  agent  settled  himself  in  the 
big  chair ; his  singular  eyes  studied  the  visitor 
with  interest.  Fuller  having  finished  with  the 
papers  at  the  table  now  asked  : 

“ Will  you  need  me  ? ” 

” Perhaps.” 

The  assistant  thereupon  sat  down,  took  out  a 
pencil  and  laid  a pad  of  paper  upon  his  knee. 


SECRET  AGENT 


17 

Philip  Warwick  shifted  uneasily  in  his  chair  ; his 
powerful  fingers  clasped  and  unclasped  nervously. 

“ Professor  Hutchinson  informs  me,”  said  he, 
“ that  you  take  an  interest  in  those  problems 
which  spring  up  unexpectedly  and  confound  the 
inexperienced.  Have  I been  correctly  informed  ? ” 

The  secret  agent  nodded. 

“Am  I to  understand  that  you  have  brought  me 
such  a problem  ? ” he  asked. 

The  visitor  bent  forward  a trifle. 

“ Perhaps,”  he  said,  “ it  will  prove  no  problem 
to  you.  It  may  be,  to  some  extent,  that  our 
imaginations  have  been  playing  tricks  upon  us. 
But,  however  that  may  be,  the  whole  matter  is  ut- 
terly beyond  our  comprehension.  I have  done 
what  I can  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  it  and  failed. 
If  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  hear  and  advise  me, 
I shall  be  profoundly  grateful.” 

Ashton-Kirk  gestured  for  him  to  go  on. 

“ The  affair,”  began  the  young  Englishman, 
“ is  not  my  own,  but  that  of  my  employer.  Dr. 
Simon  Morse.”  He  caught  the  look  in  the  eyes 
of  the  secret  agent,  and  added  : “No  doubt  you 
have  heard  of  him  ; his  theories  attracted  wide 
attention  some  time  ago.” 

“ I recall  him  very  well,”  said  Ashton-Kirk. 
“ A sort  of  scientific  anarchist,  if  Pm  not  mis- 
taken ; he  had  many  daring  ideas  and  considerable 
hardihood  in  their  expression,” 


i8 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ Any  sort  of  government,  human  or  divine,  has 
in  him  an  outspoken  enemy,”  said  Warwick.  “ I 
know  him  to  be  a man  of  great  learning  and 
splendid  ability,  but  somewhere  in  his  brain  there 
is  a something  which  nullifies  it  all.  ’ 

“ You  say  the  matter  regarding  which  you  came 
to  see  me  is  that  of  Dr.  Morse.  Did  he  ask  you 
to  come  ? ” 

“ No,  no,”  young  Warwick  held  up  his  hand, 
hastily.  ” He  knows  nothing  of  it ; and  I much 
prefer  that  he  should  not.  You  see,  he  is  a man  of 
peculiar  temperament.  He  is  very  silent  and  secre- 
tive regarding  his  private  affairs  ; also  he  has,” 
drily,  “ a somewhat  violent  temper.” 

“ You  picture  a rather  unpleasant  character.” 

“ But  I do  him  no  injustice,”  protested  the 
young  Englishman.  “ Frankly,  he  is  not  at  all 
my  sort ; and  I should  not  remain  with  him  a day, 
were  it  not  for  Stella — Miss  Corbin.” 

“ I see.” 

“ She  is  his  niece — the  only  child  of  a younger 
sister ; and  the  things  which  I am  about  to  relate 
have  caused  her  much  alarm.  She  fears  that 
some  strange  danger  threatens  him.  He  has  al- 
ways been  kind  to  her,  and  she  is  very  much  at- 
tached to  him. 

“ Dr.  Morse  is  an  Englishman  and  a graduate 
in  medicine ; but  having  large  means  has  given 
but  little  time  to  the  practice  of  his  profession. 


SECRET  AGENT 


19 

As  his  published  works  have  shown,  he  detests  all 
governments  ; however,  that  of  Russia  has  always 
been  his  pet  aversion.  He  has  declared  it  the 
most  corrupt  system  extant,  and  maintained  that 
not  a patriotic  pulse  was  to  be  found  among  the 
ruling  class  throughout  the  vast  empire.  Its 
mighty  army,  he  predicted,  would  crumble  before 
the  first  determined  foe. 

“ When  the  war  broke  out  between  Japan  and 
Russia,  Dr.  Morse  at  once  placed  his  niece  in  safe 
hands ; then  he  disappeared  for  more  than  a year. 
Upon  his  return  it  was  learned  that  he  had,  some- 
how, managed  to  have  himself  enrolled  upon  the 
medical  staff  of  the  Russian  army,  and  had  wit- 
nessed most  of  the  operations  in  Manchuria. 
Though  he  came  back  rather  worn  and  with  a 
slow-healing  wound,  he  seemed  much  elated. 

“ ‘ I now  have  the  direct  proof  which  I desired,’ 
he  said.  ‘The  Muscovite  army  reeks  with  chi- 
canery ; and  the  book  that  I’m  going  to  write  will 
set  the  whole  world  talking.’ 

“ But  before  beginning  the  book  he  determined 
to  have  a long  rest ; he  took  a fine  old  house,  just 
outside  Sharsdale,  in  Kent ; and  with  him  were  his 
niece  and  an  old  French  woman  servant  who  had 
been  in  the  family  for  many  years.  They  lived 
very  snugly  there  for  some  three  months ; then 
there  began  a most  singular  train  of  incidents. 
Of  these  I have  but  a slight  personal  knowledge, 


20 


ASHTON-KIRK 


for,  as  I have  said,  Dr.  Morse  is  a secretive  man. 
But,  little  by  little,  Stella  and  I gathered  up  the 
fragments  and  put  them  together  ; the  result  was 
rather  an  alarming  whole.  Odd  happenings  be- 
came of  daily  occurrence ; a peculiar,  nameles? 
something  seemed  hovering  about  the  place ; a 
vague  agency  was  felt  in  the  commonest  things  ; 
the  household  began  to  live  in  the  expectation  of 
some  indefinite  calamity.” 

“Pardon  me.  You  were  at  Sharsdale  at  the 
time,  I take  it  ? ” 

“ Yes  ; stopping  at  the  village  inn.  My  excuse 
was  that  I was  doing  some  sketching  ; but,”  with 
great  simplicity,  “ as  a matter  of  fact,  I was  there 
in  order  to  be  near  Stella  Corbin.” 

“ I see.  Please  go  on.” 

“ Gradually  we  came  to  know,  from  the  doctor’s 
manner  more  than  anything  else,  that  he  fancied 
himself  watched.  Indeed,  more  than  once  I per- 
sonally noted  traces  of  what  I can  call  mysterious 
visitations.  And  twice  within  as  many  months 
the  house  was  broken  into  and  ransacked  from 
top  to  bottom.” 

“A  moment  ago,”  said  Ashton- Kirk,  “you 
spoke  of  odd  happenings.  Just  what  were  the 
nature  of  these  ? ” 

“ What  I consider  the  first,”  answered  Warwick, 
“ was  the  visit  of  Karkowsky.  He  drove  up  one 
morning  in  a high-seated  pony  cart — a round- 


SECRET  AGENT 


21 


bellied,  fresh-faced,  smiling-  litde  man  with  eyes 
that  stared  as  innocently  as  a child’s.  He  seemed 
in  most  urgent  haste,  gave  his  name,  said  that  he 
was  a Pole  and  gave  as  his  business  that  of  confi- 
dential adviser  in  those  delicate  matters  which  one 
hesitates  to  bring  to  the  attention  of  a solicitor.  I 
was  with  Dr.  Morse  at  the  time,  and  I recall  that 
Karkowsky’s  manner  was  most  important  and  his 
time  apparently  of  much  value.  But,  queerly 
enough,  his  methods  were  singularly  futile ; they 
led  in  no  particular  direction.  Several  times 
Morse  hinted  concerning  the  nature  of  his  errand, 
but  he  avoided  the  subject.  Finally  he  arose,  and 
I fancied  that  he  wore  a disappointed  look ; and 
upon  taking  his  leave  gave  the  doctor  his  card 
bearing  a London  address  and  begged  that  he  be 
communicated  with  should  his  services  ever  be 
needed. 

“ On  the  night  following  this  visit,  Dr.  Morse 
dined  with  me  at  the  inn  ; Stella  was  away  from 
home  and  the  old  French  woman  was  with  her. 
About  nine  o’clock  I walked  with  the  doctor  to 
his  garden  gate.  Just  as  we  were  saying  good- 
night we  noticed  a dim  light  shine  in  his  study 
window.  As  we  stood  surprisedly  watching,  it 
disappeared.  A moment  later,  however,  it  re- 
turned, a faint  fluttering  sort  of  light  which  main- 
tained itself  with  difficulty.  Again  it  disappeared 
and  once  more  returned  ; and  then  we  understood. 


22  ASHTON-KIRK 

Some  one  was  lighting  his  way  about  the  room 
with  matches. 

“ At  first  we  thought  it  must  be  Stella  returned 
unexpectedly ; but  instantly  we  knew  that  this 
could  not  be,  for  she  would  have  turned  on  the 
lights  had  she  had  occasion  to  visit  the  room. 
We  entered  and  softly  ascended  the  stairs.  But 
all  was  dark  and  still ; we  searched  everywhere, 
but  found  no  one. 

“ A week  later,  Stella  and  the  servant  having 
returned,  they  all  awoke  one  morning  some  hours 
later  than  usual.  The  bedrooms  were  heavy  with 
the  fumes  of  a drug;  locks  had  been  broken, 
chests,  desks  and  cupboards  had  been  opened,  and 
their  contents  strewed  the  floors.  But,  strange  to 
say,  nothing  had  been  stolen. 

“Two  nights  after  this  Dr.  Morse  was  struck 
down  in  a lane  ; he  was  found  by  some  workmen 
and  brought  home.  Of  this  incident  ne  refused 
to  speak  other  than  that  he  had  not  been  robbed, 

“ Stella  now  became  frightened.  At  night  she 
saw  shadows  flitting  in  the  garden ; that  these 
were  not  fancies  was  proven  by  the  strange  foot- 
prints which  I found  in  the  soft  mould.  The  dog 
died  of  poison ; another  was  procured,  a savage, 
crafty  creature ; but  she  went  the  way  of  the  first. 
One  day,  and  at  broad  noon,  the  doctor  arose 
from  his  desk  and  went  into  an  adjoining  room 
for  a book.  He  was  not  gone  above  a minute  , 


SECRET  AGENT 


23 

buc  upon  returning  he  found  a loaded  revolver 
lying  upon  the  tablet  upon  which  he  had  been 
writing.  This  apparently  drove  him  frantic,  for  he 
seized  the  weapon  and  rushed  through  the  house. 
But  there  was  no  one  save  Stella  and  old  Nanon, 
“ Then  once  again  they  were  drugged  and  the 
house  ransacked,  but  this  time  the  attention  of  the 
intruders  seemed  directed  toward  Dr.  Morse’s  papers 
only.  They  showed  every  indication  of  having  been 
exhaustively  examined  ; but  nothing  was  qaissing 
“ As  these  things  continued,  the  tension  began 
to  tell ; the  face  of  Stella’s  uncle  became  drawn 
and  his  eyes  quick  and  feverish.  At  the  least  sound 
he  would  start ; and  it  became  almost  as  much  as 
one’s  life  was  worth  to  approach  him  from  behind 
Then  suddenly  and  secretly  he  made  up  his  mind 
to  come  to  America ; at  the  last  moment  he  made 
me  an  offer  to  accompany  them  as  his  secretary 
“ ‘ The  work  upon  my  proposed  book  will  be 
heavy,’  he  said,  ‘ and  I shall  require  aid.’  ” Here 
young  Warwick  nodded  and  smiled.  '•  Nothing 
could  have  fallen  in  better  with  my  desires  than 
this,”  he  said.  “ And  so,  of  course,  I accepted 
the  proposal.  This  was  three  years  ago  ; at  first 
we  occupied  apartments  in  the  city  here  ; but  some 
five  momhs  back.  Dr.  Morse  took  a house  on 
Fordharn  Road,  Eastbury  ; and  there  the  work  upon 
the  t c*.  the  idea  of  which  had  greatly  expanded, 
wenc  c i-'  without  a halt. 


24 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ But,”  and  the  young  man  gestured  oddly,  after 
the  fashion  of  one  curiously  impressed,  “though 
the  doctor  had  crossed  the  sea  he  had  not  traveled 
beyond  the  reach  of  his  mysterious  persecutor. 
The  happenings  at  Eastbury  are  every  bit  as  queer 
as  those  at  Sharsdale  ; and  they  began  in  the  same 
way.  As  the  doctor  and  I sat  working  in  the 
library  one  day,  a taxicab  stopped  and  Karkowsky, 
as  cheerful,  red  cheeked  and  comfortable  as  before, 
alighted.  And  as  before,  he  seemed  in  great 
haste.  Apparently  Dr.  Morse  had  never  marked, 
as  I had  done,  Karkowsky’s  first  visit  as  the  begin  - 
ning of  his  strange  troubles.  At  any  rate  he 
showed  no  resentment,  but  merely  seemed  sur- 
prised at  so  unexpected  a visitor.  The  Pole  talked 
volubly  about  the  new  country  and  of  his  pros- 
pects ; the  delicate  matters,  so  he  said,  which  it 
was  his  business  to  handle  were  vastly  greater  in 
number  in  America.  And  I noted  that  he  kept  to 
this  point ; no  matter  what  unexpected  turn  was 
given  the  conversation  he  always  came  back  to  it. 
And  all  the  time  he  kept  his  eyes  fixed  eagerly 
upon  the  doctor.  But  at  the  end  of  a half  hour  he 
arose ; again  I sensed  that  he  was  disappointed  ; 
but  he  said  nothing,  merely  handing  my  employer 
another  card  and  begging  that  he  be  summoned 
any  time  his  services  were  needed.  Then  he  took 
his  departure. 

“ It  was  next  morning  that  I entered  the  library 


SECRET  AGENT 


25 

rather  quietly  and  found  Dr.  Morse  with  a heap  of 
mail  before  him  ; in  his  hand  he  held  a square  of 
white  paper  at  which  he  looked  fixedly.  Upon 
this  was  a roughly  drawn  device  done  in  brown 
crayon.  I could  make  nothing  of  it.  When  he 
discovered  me  looking  over  his  shoulder  he  uttered 
an  impatient  exclamation,  tore  the  sheet  into  strips 
and  tossed  them  into  the  waste  basket.  That 
same  day  I opened  some  mail  matter,  as  was  my 
habit  when  the  doctor  was  not  about ; and  in  one 
of  the  envelopes  I came  upon  a duplicate  of  the 
drawing  that  I had  seen  in  my  employer’s  hands. 
When  I handed  this  to  him  a little  later  I fancied 
that  I caught  a gleam  of  the  old  haunted  look 
which  I had  so  often  noted  at  Sharsdale.” 

“ Have  you,  by  any  chance,  one  of  these  draw- 
ings ? ” asked  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ I have.”  Philip  Warwick  took  out  a wallet 
and  from  it  selected  a paper.  “ It  is  the  third  that 
came — and  in  every  respect  like  the  other  two.” 

The  secret  agent  looked  at  the  paper  carefully  ; 
it  bore  a rough,  hurried  tracing  done  with  a brown 
material — and  looked  much  like  this  ; 


Attentively  Ashton-Kirk  examined  the  drawing. 
But  if  it  bore  any  meaning  for  him,  he  gave  no  in- 


26  ASHTON-KIRK 

dication  of  it ; for  placing  the  paper  upon  the  table, 
he  said : 

“ Go  on.” 

” As  I had  suspected  upon  sight  of  Karkowsky,” 
resumed  Warwick,  “ the  persecution  of  Dr.  Morse 
was  resumed.  But,  so  it  seemed,  the  matter  had 
entered  into  a new  phase.  There  was  no  more 
mysterious  prowling,  waylaying  and  housebreak- 
- ing ; the  mail  only  was  used.  But,  so  far  as  I know, 
duplicates  of  this  drawing,”  pointing  to  the  one 
which  the  secret  agent  had  just  laid  down,  ” were 
the  only  things  sent  up  to  yesterday.  The  outline 
of  the  thing  never  varied  ; but,  oddly  enough,  the 
color  has.” 

“Ah!” 

“ At  first  the  design  was  always  in  brown. 
Then,  finally,  one  came  in  light  blue,  and  for  a 
space  they  were  all  of  that  color.  The  next  change 
was  to  black,  then  to  red,  and  finally  to  white — 
drawn  upon  neutral  tinted  paper.  But  yesterday,” 
and  once  more  the  young  Englishman  opened  the 
wallet  and  took  out  a paper,  “ this  came.” 

Ashton-Kirk  took  the  sheet  and  glanced  at  it. 
In  the  same  brown  material  that  had  been  used  in 
making  the  other  drawing  he  found  the  picture  of 
a woman. 

“ Apparently  meant  to  represent  a person  of 
some  consequence,”  he  said.  “ There  is  a sort  of 
tiara,  or  coronet  upon  the  head.”  He  laid  the 


SECRET  AGENT 


z7 

drawing  upon  the  table  with  the  other.  “ Was 
there  never  any  accompanying  writing  with 
these  ? ” 

“ None  that  I ever  heard  of.” 

“ Have  you  any  of  the  envelopes  in  which  they 
came  ? ” 

“ No.’-' 

Ashton-Kirk  arose  and  took  a few  turns  up  and 
down  the  long  room  ; then  pausing  at  a stand  he 
opened  a case  of  heavy  looking  cigars,  one  of 
which  he  offered  Warwick. 

“ Thank  you,  no,”  said  the  young  man. 

The  secret  agent,  however,  selected  one,  lighted 
it  and  resumed  his  pacing. 

“ That  is  about  all  I can  tell  you,”  said  War- 
wick. “ And  now  if  you  can  offer  any  explanation 
of  it  all,  I beg  that  you  do  so.  I shall  be  perfectly 
frank  and  say  that  I am  not  greatly  interested  in 
the  matter  beyond  natural  curiosity.  But,”  and 
here  the  strong  fingers  began  to  intertwine  once 
more,  “ Miss  Corbin  is  filled  with  fear,  and  it  is 
for  her  sake  that  I appeal  to  you.” 

Ashton-Kirk  shot  a quick  look  at  him. 

” Your  personal  regard  for  Dr.  Morse’s  possible 
safety  is  not  very  great,  then  ? ” 

“ I wish  him  no  harm.  But  there  is  no  warm 
feeling  between  us.  If  you  knew  him  you  would 
understand  the  reason  for  this  readily  enough.  ’ 
He  paused  for  a moment  and  then  went  on 


28 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ Perhaps,”  he  said,  “ the  matter,  as  I set  it  before 
you,  seems  absurd.  But  to  Miss  Corbin  it  is  a 
continuous  menace — a thing  which  throws  its 
shadow  across  her  uncle’s  daily  path.  To  her,  it 
is  impossible  that  what  has  happened  and  is  hap- 
pening has  not  a deep  significance  ; the  apparent 
resolution  behind  it  inspires  her  with  awe.  It  is 
her  firm  conviction  that  if  something  is  not  soon 
done,  unspeakable  things  will  happen.” 

Ashton-Kirk  paused  by  the  table ; the  smoke 
from  the  heavy  cigar  curled  pungently  upward. 

“What  address  did  Mr.  Karkowsky’s  card 
bear?”  he  inquired. 

“It  is  in  the  Polish  section.  Corinth  Avenue 
and  Fourth  Street.” 

“ Do  you  know  whether  Dr.  Morse  has  called 
upon  him  ? ” 

“I  do  not.  But  I am  inclined  to  think  that  he 
has  not  done  so.  However,  I have  taken  it  upon 
myself  to  pay  the  man  a visit.  He  lodges  upon  a 
third  floor,  over  a harness-maker ; and  when  I 
entered  he  received  me  eagerly  and  with  delight. 
But  when  I began  to  question  him  he  grew  en- 
raged and  ordered  me  from  the  place.” 

“You  have  never  repeated  the  visit?  ” 

“No.” 

The  secret  agent  drew  softly  upon  the  cigar  ; 
its  spicy  aroma  filled  the  room. 

“ Coming  in  personal  contact,  so  to  speak,  with 


SECRET  AGENT 


29 

this  matter,”  said  he,  “ it  is  but  natural  to  suppose 
that  you  have  formed  some  opinion  as  to  the  cause 
of  it.” 

The  young  Englishman  nodded. 

“Yes,”  he  said.  “I  have.  It  is  my  opinion 
that  the  -Russian  government  is  behind  it  all. 
They  have  heard  of  the  proposed  book.” 

But  Ashton-Kirk  shook  his  head. 

” The  Russian  government,”  smiled  he,  " is 
charged  with  a great  number  of  things  ; and  the 
foundations  of  most  of  them  are  as  light  as  this. 
According  to  your  story.  Dr.  Morse's  papers  were 
once  examined  very  minutely.  Were  the  notes 
for  the  book  among  them  ? ” 

“ Yes.” 

“ That  then  places  Russia  outside  the  probabil- 
ities. If  that  government  had  been  sufficiently 
interested  in  Morse  to  have  done  the  housebreak- 
ing, rest  assured  that  the  notes,  if  considered 
harmful,  would  have  disappeared.” 

“ I have  thought  of  that,”  said  Warwick. 
” But,”  with  a shake  of  the  head,  “ St.  Petersburg 
being  denied  me,  I am  at  a loss.” 

“ There  are  two  common  causes  for  most  things 
of  a criminal  nature,”,  said  Ashton-Kirk.  ” These 
are  robbery  and  revenge.  The  fact  that  nothing 
is  known  to  have  been  stolen  in  either  of  the 
nightly  visits  to  the  house  at  Sharsdale  seems  to 
eliminate first  of  these;  and  that  Morse  was 


ASHTON-KIRK 


30 

twice  drugged  and  once  waylaid  and  still  not  sc 
riously  injured,  does  away  with  the  other.” 

“ It  would  seem  to.” 

There  was  another  pause.  The  secret  agent  re- 
garded Warwick  intently. 

‘‘  Think  carefully  before  answering  the  question 
I am  now  about  to  ask.  What  is  there  in  the 
doctor’s  possession  that  you  have  seen,  or  have 
even  heard  hinted  at — that  is  in  any  way  remark- 
able or  unique  ? ” 

Warwick  pondered,  but  finally  shook  his  head. 

“Take  your  time — think  deliberately.  What 
does  he  own  that  would  excite  the  cupidity  of 
persons  of  much  power  and  great  wealth  ? ” 

“ I know  of  nothing,”  replied  the  young  man. 

“ It  would  scarcely  be  a thing  to  be  measured 
by  a money  value,”  encouraged  the  secret  agent. 
“ It  might  be,  and  the  fact  that  the  doctor’s  papers 
were  once  searched  seems  to  indicate  it  rather 
strongly — a document.” 

Again  Warwick  shook  his  head. 

“ As  I have  said,  Morse  is  not  of  a confiding 
nature.  He  keeps  his  affairs  to  himself.” 

Ashton-Kirk  laid  his  half-burned  cigar  upon  a 
bronze  shell ; and  as  he  did  so  his  eyes  fell  once 
more  upon  the  drawing  of  the  crowned  woman.  A 
sudden  tightening  about  his  mouth  showed  a fresh 
interest ; taking  up  the  drawing  he  examined  it 
with  eager  attention.  At  length  he  said  : 


SECRET  AGENT 


31 

“ Previous  to  the  first  visit  of  Karkowsky  at 
Sharsdale — Morse  had  never  experienced  any  of 
the  things  of  which  you  told  me  ? ” 

“ No.” 

"You  are  sure  of  this  ? ” 

" Positive.  Old  Nanon  would  have  been  sure 
to  have  heard  of  them.  She  has  been  with  him 
since  he  was  a child.” 

“ You  have  mentioned  that  Dr.  Morse  is  pos- 
sessed of  means.  Did  he  inherit  this,  or  did  he 
accumulate  it  himself  ? ” 

" He  inherited  it  from  his  father.” 

" Have  you  ever  heard  anything  uncommon  of 
the  father  ? Any  of  the  sort  of  things  which  you 
have  just  mentioned  ? ” 

" No.  According  to  Nanon  he  was  an  extra- 
ordinarily gentle  and  simple-minded  man.” 

“ Has  Dr.  Morse  ever  traveled  in  the  East  ? ” 

“ In  Egypt  and  the  Holy  Lands  when  a young 
man,  seeking  material  for  his  anti-religious  lec- 
tures. Then,  of  course,  there  was  the  war  in 
Manchuria.” 

" Have  you  ever  heard  him  express  any  opinion 
as  to  Orientals  ? ” 

“ Only  that  they  were  intelligent  and  in  many 
ways  capable.  The  Japanese  he  only  came  within 
musket  shot  of,  but,”  with  a smile,  “ he  thinks 
them  very  competent  fighters.” 

Ashton-Kirk  joined  in  the  smile. 


32 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ A remarkable  race,”  he  said,  “ and  one  of 
whom  the  last  word  has  not  yet  been  spoken.” 

Here  Warwick  arose  and  Ashton-Kirk  pressed 
the  bell  for  Stumph. 

” This,”  said  the  secret  agent,  “ promises  to  be 
a very  interesting  matter ; and,  it  so  happens,  one 
that  falls  in  with  my  inclinations  at  this  time.” 

“You  w'ill  undertake  it  then?”  eagerly. 

“ With  pleasure.” 

Stumph  held  open  the  door  that  the  caller  might 
depart. 

“ In  behalf  of  Miss  Corbin,”  said  Warwick, 
earnestly,  “ I thank  you.”  He  hesitated  a moment, 
and  then  said  : “ Before  making  a definite  start  in 
the  matter,  I suppose  it  will  be  necessary  for  you 
to  visit  us  at  Eastbury.  I confess  that  rather 
puzzles  me.  You  see,  I would  not  have  Dr. 
Morse ” 

“ Rest  easy  as  to  that,”  Ashton-Kirk  assured 
him  ; “ we  need  tell  him  nothing.” 

“ When  will  you  come  ?” 

“ To-night.” 

Philip  Warwick  smiled. 

*“  You  are  prompt,”  said  he.  “ But  Miss  Corbin 
will  be  delighted.” 

And  with  that  he  took  his  departure. 


CHAPTER  II 


Ashton-Kirk  Goes  to  Eastbury 

Ashton-Kirk  turned  to  Fuller. 

“ Read  what  you  have  taken  down,”  he  directed. 

Fuller  did  so,  and  while  he  read,  the  secret 
agent  stood  by  the  window,  listening.  When 
the  assistant  finished  the  other  did  not  speak ; he 
remained  gazing  down  at  the  shabby  hordes  which 
eddied  and  murmured  in  the  street.  There  was  a 
strange  look  upon  the  keen,  dark  face  of  the 
watcher ; the  eyes  were  full  of  singular  speculation. 
At  last  he  spoke. 

” Queer  things  come  out  of  the  East,”  he  said. 
“ Even  these  people  below,  who  have  merely 
lived  upon  the  western  fringe  of  the  Orient,  are 
tinged  with  its  mystery.  Every  now  and  then  an 
Occidental  eye  gets  a flash  of  something  among 
them  for  which  we  have  no  explanation.” 

“ I have  felt  that  frequently,”  said  Fuller  ; ” but 
never  gave  much  thought  to  it.  Orientals,  some- 
how, have  always  impressed  me  uncomfortably ; 
they  seem,  so  to  put  it,  to  have  something  in 
reserve.  It  is  as  though  they  had  a trick  or  two 
up  their  sleeves  which  they  have  never  shown 
us.” 


33 


ASHTON-KIRK 


34 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded. 

“A  strange  and  interesting  people,”  said  he. 
He  crossed  to  the  book  shelves  and  took  down  a 
thin  folio ; placing  it  upon  the  table,  he  began  to 
rapidly  turn  the  leaves  ; a series  of  Japanese  prints 
fluttered  before  Fuller’s  eyes. 

“There  are  numberless  things  which  are  held 
as  marking  the  line  of  division  between  the  races 
of  f^e  East  and  West,”  remarked  Ashton-Kirk. 
“ But,”  with  a smile,  “ I have  an  idea  that  food 
and  tl>e  cooking  thereof  has  more  to  do  with  it 
than  anything  else.  The  mental  and  physical  dif- 
ferences are  the  results  of  this.  And  in  nothing 
does  the  Japanese,  for  example,  show  the  result  of 
his  nourishment  as  in  the  matter  of  art.  His  hand 
in  a drawing  is  unmistakable.” 

He  closed  the  volume  of  prints ; and  from  a 
stand  took  a telephone  book  and  opened  it  at 
Eastbury.  This  was  a “ Boom  ” suburb,  and  as 
yet  had  no  great  population  ; down  the  list  of  sub- 
scribers ran  the  inquiring  finger ; at  length  it 
paused  and  a slight  hissing  intake  of  the  breath 
told  of  a discovery. 

“ Good,”  said  he. 

Tossing  the  book  to  Fuller,  he  added  : 

“ Find  Dr.  Morse’s  number  in  Fordham  Road.” 

While  the  deft  fingers  of  his  assistant  ran 
through  the  pages,  Ashton-Kirk  turned  to  a sort 
of  rack ; throwing  open  one  of  the  huge  rolls  which 


SECRET  AGENT 


35 

it  contained,  he  displayed  a section  of  a marvel- 
ously complete  map  of  the  city  and  suburbs.  It 
was  done  by  hand  and  in  variously  colored  inks  ; 
every  street,  avenue,  court  and  alley  were  clearly 
traced ; each  house  and  number  was  microscop- 
ically set  down.  This  map  was  the  growth  of 
years ; each  month  it  was  altered  in  some  small 
way  as  the  city  expanded  ; the  care  taken  with  it 
was  the  same  as  that  which  a business  hous^  gave 
its  ledgers.  Again  the  long,  inquiring  finger  be- 
gan to  move. 

“ Ah  1 Fordham  Road  is  the  first  street  east  of 
Berkley.” 

” Dr.  Morse’s  address  is  2979,”  said  Fuller,  look- 
ing up  from  the  directory. 

“ The  same  block ! ” cried  Ashton- Kirk,  his  finger 
searching  among  the  lines.  Then  he  burst  into  a 
laugh  and  allowed  the  spring  to  whisk  the  map  out 
of  view.  “ Their  houses  stand  back  to  back,”  said 
he. 

Fuller’s  expression  indicated  curiosity  ; but  he 
had  been  with  Ashton- Kirk  a number  of  years  and 
had  grown  to  know  that  his  utterances  were  not 
always  meant  to  be  heard.  The  secret  agent  took 
up  a bit  of  brown  rice  paper  and  a bulging  pinch 
of  tobacco ; as  he  delicately  manipulated  these, 
he  said  to  Fuller  : 

” Do  you  recall  the  name  of  Okiu  ? ” 

” It  seems  familiar,”  replied  the  assistant,  after  a 


36  ASHTON-KIRK 

moment’s  thought.  Then  suddenly  : “ Wasn’t  he 
one  of ” 

“ Look  in  the  cabinet,”  said  Ashton-Kirk. 

Fuller  went  to  the  filing  system  and  pulled  open 
the  drawer  marked  ” OK.”  After  a search  of  a 
few  moments  he  turned, 

" Yes,”  said  he,  eagerly.  “ Here  he  is,  and  un- 
derscored in  red.  The  details  are  in  Volume  X.” 

Ashton-Kirk  touched  one  of  a row  of  bells.  A 
buzzer  made  reply ; through  a tube  the  secret 
agent  said : 

“ Bring  up  Volume  X at  once.” 

He  threw  himself  into  the  big  chair,  stretched  his 
legs  contentedly  and  drew  at  the  cigarette.  In  a 
little  while  Stumph  entered,  bearing  a huge 
canvas-covered  book ; this  he  laid  upon  a small 
table,  which  he  then  pushed  toward  his  employer. 
The  latter  looked  at  his  watch. 

“ I’m  not  to  be  disturbed  again  to-day,”  said  he. 
” And  I’ll  dine  earlier — ^at  five  o’clock.” 

“ Anything  more  ? ” asked  Fuller,  when  Stumph 
had  left  the  room. 

“ Look  up  the  trains  stopping  at  Eastbury  after 
seven  o’clock.  And  stand  ready  to  go  with  me. 
I may  need  you.” 

Fuller  went  out ; and  Ashton-Kirk,  with  a cloud 
of  blue  smoke  hovering  about  his  head,  opened 
the  canvas-covered  volume,  found  the  name  he 
sought,  and  at  once  plunged  into  the  finely  written 


SECRET  AGENT 


37 

pages.  The  minutes  went  by,  and  the  hours  fol- 
lowed ; cigar  succeeded  cigarette  and  pipe  fol- 
lowed cigar  ; the  table  became  littered  with  burnt 
matches,  ash,  and  impossibly  short  ends.  When 
Stumph  finally  knocked  to  announce  dinner,  he 
found  tottering  mountains  ^of  books,  maps  and 
newspaper  cuttings  everywhere  and  in  the  midst 
of  them  was  the  investigator,  lying  back  in  his 
chair  with  closed  eyes  ; the  only  indication  that  he 
was  awake  being  that  a thin  column  of  smoke  was 
ascending  from  the  pipe. 

At  seven-twenty  that  evening  a local  paused  at 
Eastbury  Station ; and  among  those  who  got  off 
were  Ashton-Kirk,  and  the  brisk  looking  Fuller. 

The  station  lamps  were  lighted,  but  were  pale 
as  yet,  for  deep  splashes  of  reddish  gold  piled 
high  on  the  horizon  line,  and  long,  shaking  lines 
of  light  shot  down  the  sparsely  built  streets. 

Fordham  Road  was  one  of  the  newest  of  these 
latter ; its  asphalted  length  showed  hardly  a trace 
of  travel  and  its  grading  was  as  level  as  that  of  a 
billiard  table.  The  buildings  were  even  fewer  here 
than  elsewhere  in  the  suburb  ; and  upon  the  vacant 
spaces  huge  signs  reared  themselves,  announcing 
the  sale  of  choice  sites. 

Number  2979  was  a brick  and  brown-stone 
house  with  a wide  veranda  and  a smooth  lawn 
which  ran  all  around  it.  Skirting  the  lawn  was  a 
hedge  fence ; and  a cemented  path  led  to  the  front 


ASHTON-KIRK 


38 

door.  A tall,  angular  old  woman  opened  this  in 
answer  to  the  ring.  Her  eyes  were  sharp  and 
gray  ; her  face  was  severe — crossed  and  recrossed 
by  a thousand  minute  wrinkles ; her  hands  were 
large  and  the  veins  were  blue  and  swollen. 

“ Is  Mr.  Warwick  at  home  ? ” asked  Ashton- 
Kirk. 

The  sharp,  gray  eyes  seemed  to  become  partly 
veiled,  the  thin  lips  only  moved  a trifle  when  she 
spoke. 

“ You  would  see  him  ? ” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded  ; and  as  the  old  woman 
admitted  them,  he  said  : 

“ You  are  not  English,  then?” 

For  an  instant  she  seemed  to  bristle  with  indig- 
nation ; her  eyes,  wide  open  now',  snapped. 

“ English  ! No ; I am  a French  woman,  thank 
God ! ” 

She  showed  them  into  a somberly  furnished  but 
spotlessly  kept  sitting-room ; a single  window 
overlooked  that  portion  of  the  lawn  which  lay  be- 
hind the  house. 

“ If  you  will  sit  down,”  she  said,'  ‘ I will  speak 
to  Mr.  Warwick.” 

Ashton-Kirk,  whose  first  glance  had  been 
through  the  window,  said : 

“ You  have  Japanese  for  neighbors,  I see.” 

The  woman’s  eyes  also  went  to  the  window ; 
there  was  a long,  narrow  stretch  of  lawn  between 


SECRET  AGENT 


39 

the  house  and  the  one  behind  it ; and  this  was  di- 
vided in  the  center  by  a hedge  fence.  Upon  the 
opposite  side  of  the  latter,  engaged  in  uprooting 
the  encroaching  weeds,  was  a small,  dark  man 
with  spectacles  and  grayish  hair.  At  sight  of  him 
the  old  woman  made  a gesture  of  aversion. 

“The  good  God  hates  all  pagans,”  she  said, 
resolutely,  and  went  out. 

The  secret  agent  smiled. 

“ I think  I should  have  known  her  for  a zealot 
even  without  that,”  he  said.  “ The  type  is  per- 
fectly expressed  in  her.” 

“She  has  no  love  for  the  Japs,  at  all  events,” 
said  Fuller,  as  he  went  to  the  window. 

“ The  man  clipping  the  hedge,”  said  Ashton- 
Kirk,  “is  a member  of  the  household  of  whom 
Warwick  neglected  to  speak.” 

Fuller  looked  at  the  person  indicated ; he  was 
upon  the  Morse  side  of  the  fence  and  wielded  a 
huge  pair  of  shears  diligently  ; in  spite  of  the 
mildness  of  the  evening  he  had  a heavy  coat  but- 
toned to  the  chin.  Near  him  frolicked  a small 
terrier. 

“ He  may  be  a gardener  called  in  to  do  the 
trimming,”  suggested  the  assistant. 

“ I think  we’ll  find  that  he  belongs  here,”  said 
Ashton-Kirk.  “ That  is  a Scottish  terrier  running 
about  there ; and  that  breed  is  never  friendly  with 
strangers.” 


40 


ASHTON-KIRK 


There  was  a piano  being  played  somewhere  in 
the  house ; the  touch  was  sure  and  soft,  the  air 
mournful  and  full  of  minors.  They  had  listened 
but  a moment,  however,  when  Warwick  entered 
the  room. 

There  was  a flush  in  his  cheeks  and  an  excited 
sparkle  in  his  eyes ; as  he  spoke  his  voice  shook 
a little  as  though  not  perfectly  under  control. 

“ Thank  you,”  he  said,  eagerly,  as  he  shook 
hands.  “ I am  glad  that  you  have  come.” 

“ Something  has  happened  ? ” 

“Yes.  A special  delivery  letter  came  for  Dr. 
Morse  about  an  hour  ago.  A few  moments  after 
receiving  it  I heard  him  shouting  aloud  in  the 
library,  and  apparently  smashing  things  in  his 
rage.” 

“ Did  you  go  to  him  ? ” 

“ No.  When  he  is  that  way,  we  have  found  it 
a better  plan  to  leave  him  alone.  After  venting 
his  rage  in  the  way  I have  just  mentioned,  he 
rushed,  from  the  place.” 

Ashton-Kirk  did  not  immediately  comment 
upon  this ; his  eyes  were  upon  the  man  clipping 
the  hedge. 

“ Who  is  that  ? ” asked  he. 

Warwick  followed  his  glance. 

“ Oh,  a young  fellow  whom  the  doctor  employs 
about  the  place.  He  is  a Pole,  and  came  about  a 
month  ago ; he  seems  very  intelligent,  and  I know 


SECRET  AGENT 


41 

he  is  hard  up.  Morse  knew  his  father  somewhere, 
I believe.” 

“ I see.”  The  speaker  turned  from  the  window. 

“ You  were  saying  that  Dr.  Morse  rushed  from 
the  house  in  a passion.” 

“Yes.  And  I went  at  once  into  the  library. 
Upon  his  desk  I found  this,  which  was,  more  than 
likely,  the  cause  of  the  outburst.” 

He  handed  Ashton-Kirk  a sheet  of  paper ; in 
the  center  was  a cross,  the  only  peculiarity  of 
which  was  that  the  down  stroke  was  red,  and  the 
other  was  blue.  This  the  secret  agent  inspected 
with  interest. 

“ I believe  you  said  that  he  cried  aloud  in  the 
library — did  you  catch  any  words  ? ” 

“No.  But  Miss  Corbin  did.  She  told  me 
that ” 

“ Wait  1 ” Ashton-Kirk  halted  him.  “ I would 
like  to  speak  to  Miss  Corbin  personally.” 

“ Ah,  yes.  I suppose  it  would  be  best.” 

Warwick  left  the  room.  Instantly  Ashton-Kirk 
was  at  the  window,  and  after  a glance,  he  laughed 
softly. 

“ Fuller,”  said  he,  “ if  you  saw  a man  weeding 
a garden  and  another  man  clipping  a hedge 
near  by ; and  if  you  noticed  that  they  gradually 
and  almost  imperceptibly  worked  toward  each 
other,  what  should  you  think  ? ” 

Fuller  looked  out  at  the  two  stooping  figures ; 


ASHTON-KIRK 


< 2 

the  terrier  had  stopped  his  capering  and  lay  gnaw* 
ing  one  of  the  cuttings  from  the  hedge,  which  he 
held  between  his  paws. 

“They  are  nearer  to  each  other,”  said  Fuller. 
“ And  look ! they  never  exchange  a glance.  It 
seems  to  me,”  in  the  low,  rapid  tone  of  one  to 
whom  an  idea  had  just  occurred,  “ that  they  de- 
sire to  speak  to  each  other,  but  would  rather  not 
be  observed.” 

Before  the  secret  agent  could  reply  to  this, 
Warwick  reentered,  and  with  him  was  a girl.  She 
was  slight  and  dark  and  dressed  in  white.  Her 
most  remarkable  feature  was  her  eyes ; they  were 
big  and  black  and  wonderful.  Her  manner  was 
hushed  and  fearful ; her  voice,  when  she  spoke, 
was  sunk  almost  to  a whisper. 

“ Philip  tells  me  that  you  are  a very  gifted 
man,”  she  said,  after  Warwick  had  spoken  the 
words  of  presentation.  “ He  says  that  hidden 
things  are  plain  to  you.  I do  not  understand  how 
or  why  this  is,  but  nevertheless  I am  glad  that  you 
have  come.  And  I only  hope,”  here  one  of  the 
slim,  white  hands  trembled  upon  his  sleeve,  “ that 
you  have  come  in  time.” 

“ I think,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  quietly,  “ that  you 
had  better  make  an  effort  to  control  yourself.  You 
are  cold  with  fear.  It  is  necessary  that  you  an- 
swer a few  questions ; so  try  and  calm  yourself— 
even  if  only  for  that  reason.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


43 

“ I can’t ! I can’t ! ” She  made  a despairing 
sort  of  gesture,  the  great  eyes  filled  with  a thrill- 
ing terror.  “ How  can  I be  calm  when  I read 
such  things  in  his  face?”  One  hand  was  upon 
the  arm  of  the  secret  agent,  the  other  upon  that  of 
young  Warwick  ; she  looked  first  at  one  and  then 
the  other.  “ Death  is  near  to  him,”  she  said. 
“ It  is  very  near  to  him.” 

‘^No,  no!”  cried  the  young  Englishman. 

“ I tell  you,  yes ! And,  perhaps,  it  is  even 
nearer  than  I dream.  It  may  be  upon  the  very 
threshold.” 

“ My  dear  girl,”  cried  Warwick. 

“ Have  you  been  blind,  Philip  ? ” she  asked  in 
the  same  whispering  voice  as  before.  “ Have  you 
been  blind  that  you  have  not  seen  ? But  no,”  her 
tone  changing  tenderly,  “ it  is  not  to  be  expected 
of  you.  He  has  not  been  a father  to  you." 

“ No,”  said  Warwick,  and  somehow  a second 
meaning  seemed  to  lurk  behind  the  words,  “ he 
has  not.” 

The  girl  turned  to  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ Never,”  she  said,  “ has  any  one  been  better  or 
kinder  than  Dr.  Morse  has  been  to  me.  Every- 
thing that  I have  I owe  to  him.  And  so  can  you 
wonder  that  / have  been  quick  to  see  ? ” 

” Quick  to  see — what  ? ” 

“ The  fear,”  she  answered,  “ the  fear  which  has 
gradually  taken  possession  of  him.  You  have 


44 


ASHTON-KIRK 


seen  some  of  it,”  to  Warwick,  “ but  not  all.  It  is 
terror  of  the  unseen,  of  the  unknown.  It  is  fear 
of  a danger  which  he  does  not  understand.” 

“You  think,  then,  that  Dr.  Morse  does  not 
know  the  meaning  of  these  grotesque  messages 
which  he  has  been  receiving  ? ” 

“ I know  that  he  does  not.  I have  always 
known  it ; but  just  how,  I cannot  say.  This 
evening,  upon  opening  the  letter,  he  rushed  out 
of  the  library.  I happened  to  be  passing  the  hall, 
and  heard  him  cry  out : ‘ Be  plain ! Who  are 
you  ? What  do  you  want  ? ’ ” 

“ Is  that  all  you  heard?” 

“ Yes  ; for  with  the  last  word  he  threw  open  the 
front  door  and  was  gone.” 

Ashton-Kirk  glanced  at  the  two-colored  cross. 

“ Perhaps,”  said  he,  “ if  we  could  find  the 
envelope  which  this  came  in,  it  would  tell  us 
something.” 

“Will  you  come  into  the  library?”  said  War- 
wick. 

As  they  were  moving  toward  the  door,  Ashton- 
Kirk  whispered  a few  quick  words  to  Fuller  ; the 
latter  nodded  and  took  a seat  by  the  window, 
partly  screened  by  a hanging  and  apparently 
much  interested  in  the  lawn. 

The  library  was  a large,  high  ceilinged  room, 
darkly  paneled  and  with  a smoothly  polished 
floor.  The  chairs  were  massive  oak  affairs  and 


SECRET  AGENT 


45 


there  were  two  huge,  flat-topped  desks.  The 
bookcases  were  stuffed  with  serious,  well-handled 
tomes  ; at  one  side  was  a highboy,  the  many 
drawers  of  which  were  furnished  with  glass  knobs. 
Upon  the  top  of  this  was  a large  English  travel- 
ing bag,  the  strap  of  which  was  tightly  buckled. 

From  the  floor  near  one  of  the  desks  Warwick 
picked  up  a torn  envelope. 

“That  is  what  the  paper  came  in,”  said  he.  “ I 
know,  because  it  was  I who  handed  it  to  him.” 

“ Postmarked  at  three  o’clock  this  afternoon  at 
the  central  station,”  said  Ashton- Kirk.  “And  the 
address  was  written  on  a typewriter.”  He  threw 
the  envelope  upon  the  desk.  “ We’ll  learn  noth- 
ing from  that,  except,  perhaps,  that  the  sender 
is  one  who  understands  the  value  of  keeping 
hidden.” 

Just  then  a door  was  heard  to  open  and  close 
heavily.  At  the  sound  Ashton-Kirk  noted  the 
girl  go  swiftly  to  Warwick’s  side  and  whisper 
something  hurriedly. 

“ No,”  said  he,  and  there  was  just  a trace  of 
sharpness  in  his  tone.  “ Of  course  not.” 

Quick  steps  were  heard  in  the  hall,  then  a man 
entered  the  room. 

“ Uncle,”  said  Stella  Corbin. 

She  went  to  him  and  put  an  arm  about  him, 
but  his  feverishly  burning  eyes  singled  out  the 
stranger. 


ASHTON-KIRK 


46 

“ It  is  a friend  of  Philip’s — Mr.  Ashton-Kirk. 
He  has  been  kind  enough  to  visit  us.” 

There  was  a disagreeable  smile  about  the  thin 
lips  of  D>,  Morse  as  he  said  : 

“ Kind,  indeed.  We  are  charmed.”  Then  to 
Warwick  he  added,  “ It  is  not  every  one,  my 
dear  Philip,  who  has  the  power  of  attracting 
friends.” 

Dr.  Morse  was  a tall  man,  with  high,  narrow 
shoulders  and  a long,  pasty-white  face.  There 
were  deep,  sour-looking  lines  about  his  mouth ; 
the  short  black  hair  stood  up  on  his  head  like 
bristles. 

“ To  attract  friends,”  said  the  secret  agent,  “ is 
rather  an  enviable  knack.” 

“ It  denotes  a perfect  nature,  I have  no  doubt,” 
replied  Dr.  Morse,  still  with  the  disagreeable 
smile. 

“And  if  such  a knack  exists,”  said  Ashton-Kirk, 
evenly,  “ it  argues  the  existence  of  a counter  con- 
dition, don’t  you  think,  in  some  others — that  of 
attracting  enemies  ? ” 

For  a moment  there  was  a dead  silence  in  the 
room ; a look  of  consternation  appeared  in  the  face 
of  the  young  Englishman.  Dr.  Morse  smoothed 
back  his  short,  stiff  hair  and  sat  down  ; the  smile 
was  still  present,  but  his  red-Hdded  eyes  were 
narrowed  in  a way  that  was  not  at  all  pleasant. 

“ Perhaps  you  are  right — things  are  usually 


SECRET  AGENT 


47 

balanced  in  some  such  way.  We  all  have  our  ene- 
mies,” he  added.  “ I have  read  somewhere  that 
the  fewer  thei  personal  foes,  the  weaker  the  man. 
And  since  we  must  have  them  in  order  to  prove 
our  personality,”  with  a laugh  which  sounded 
peculiarly  unnatural,  “ why,  we  can  consider  our- 
selves fortunate  if  they  but  stand  out  where  we 
can  see  them.” 

“ Your  businesslike  enemy  seldom  fights  in  the 
open,”  commented  Ashton-Kirk  with  the  air  of 
a man  merely  making  talk.  “ Our  American 
politicians  could  teach  you  that  fact.” 

The  physician  nodded. 

“ The  ambuscade  is  effective,”  he  agreed.  “ I 
learned  its  use  in  the  Russo-Japanese  war.” 

“ So ! ” The  secret  agent’s  brows  went  up. 
“ You  served  in  that  war  then  ? What  regi- 
ment ? ” 

“The  47th  infantry,  Siberians.” 

“ It  is  peculiar  how  things  come  about,”  smiled 
Ashton-Kirk.  “While  waiting  for  Warwick  I 
noticed  that  the  house  in  your  rear  is  occupied 
by  Japanese.  Rather  close  quarters  for  old  op- 
ponents, is  it  not  ? ” 

“ The  Japanese,”  spoke  Dr.  Morse,  “ were  the 
opponents  of  Russia.” 

“ I see.  You  are  on  good  terms  with  your 
neighbors,  then?” 

“ No.  They  have  been  there  almost  as  long  as 


48  ASHTON-KIRK 

I have  been  here ; but  I have  never  spoken  to 
one  of  them.” 

Just  then  there  came  a tap  upon  the  door  ; the 
old  servant  woman  entered,  but  at  the  sight  of 
those  present,  she  halted. 

” I beg  your  pardon,  Simon,”  she  said  to 
Morse.  “ I did  not  know  you  were  engaged.” 

He  looked  at  her  coldly. 

” Well,  Nanon,”  said  he,  ” what  is  it  now  ? 
Out  again  ? There  is  no  service  at  your  church 
to-night.” 

There  was  a jeer  in  his  voice,  but  the  old  French 
woman  paid  no  attention  to  it.  That  she  addressed 
him  by  his  first  name  indicated  that  she  felt  no 
sense  of  inferiority.  Indeed,  as  Ashton-Kirk  re- 
garded her,  he  detected  a look  of  contempt  upon 
her  severe  face. 

“ No,”  she  answered,  “ there  is  no  service  to- 
night, as  you  know  very  well.  I came  to  speak  of 
Drevenoff.” 

A peculiar  look  came  into  the  eyes  of  the  secret 
agent ; it  was  as  though  he  were  groping  about  for 
something  hidden  away  in  his  memory  ; then  like 
a flash,  recollection  seemed  to  come. 

“Well,  what  of  him?”  asked  Dr.  Morse. 

“ He  is  no  better.  Even  now  while  he  clips  the 
hedges,  he  shakes  with  cold  ; again  he  burns.” 

The  physician  gestured  impatiently.  Arising  he 
went  to  a small  cabinet  and  took  out  a jar  partly 


SECRET  AGENT 


49 

filled  with  whitish  pills.  While  he  was  so  en- 
gaged, Warwick  whispered  to  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ Don’t  wonder  at  Nanon’s  manner.  You  know 
I’d  told  you  she’d  been  in  the  family  for  years — 
before  the  doctor  was  born.  He  has  the  bad  taste 
to  sneer  at  her  religion  ; and  I really  think  that  she 
considers  him  somehow  evilly  possessed.  It’s  a 
sort  of  truce  between  them.” 

Dr.  Morse  placed  some  of  the  pellets  in  an 
envelope  upon  which  he  scrawled  some  lines. 

” Tell  him  to  take  these,”  he  said,  handing  them 
to  the  old  woman.  ” The  directions  are  on  the 
envelope.” 

“ I hope  it  is  nothing  serious,”  said  his  niece. 

“ He  needs  some  quinine,  that  is  all,”  returned 
the  physician. 

Old  Nanon  moved  toward  the  door.  Her 
withered,  large  veined  right  hand  hung  at  her 
side  ; Ashton-Kirk  noted  her  dart  a sidelong  glance 
toward  Morse  ; then  the  bony  forefinger  made  a 
rapid  sign  of  the  cross  between  them. 

And  so  the  door  closed  behind  her. 


CHAPTER  III 

An  International  Affair 

Next  morning  Ashton-Kirk’s  car  was  drawn  up 
at  his  door ; in  the  hall,  the  secret  agent  pulled  on 
a pair  of  gloves ; at  his  side  stood  the  alert  Fuller. 

“ You  carried  out  my  instructions  ? ” asked  the 
former, 

“Yes,”  answered  Fuller.  “I  telegraphed  the 
secretary  that  you  would  reach  Washington  by 
11:40  and  would  call  upon  him  at  once.” 

“You  urged  him  that  the  matter  was  possibly 
one  of  much  importance  ? ” 

“ Yes.” 

The  secret  agent  turned  to  Stumph,  who  stood 
at  the  front  door. 

“ Have  Dixon  meet  every  Washington  train 
after  dark,”  said  he.  “ We  shall  be  on  one  or  the 
other  of  them.” 

Stumph  threw  open  the  hall  door  and  then  that 
of  the  car  ; the  soft  throb  of  the  engine  changed  to 
a startled  snort,  and  then  the  huge  vehicle  glided 
away. 

A little  later  the  two  men  sat  facing  each  other 
upon  the  heavy  “ Limited  ” ; Ashton-Kirk  turned 

50 


SECRET  AGENT 


51 

the  pages  of  a magazine.  For  a time  Fuller  was 
silent  and  thoughtful.  But  at  length  he  said  : 

“ Do  you  know — I don’t  just  understand  those 
two  fellows  behind  the  house  last  evening,  the  Jap, 
you  know — and  the  one  who  acted  as  though  he 
were  cold.  What  are  we  to  make  of  men  who 
edge  toward  each  other,  apparently  bent  upon 
some  sort  of  a secret  communication — and  then 
when  they  get  within  speaking  distance,  work 
away  doggedly  and  at  last  depart  without  ex- 
changing a word  ? ” 

“You  are  quite  sure  that  there  was  no  message 
dropped  across  the  hedge,  or  stuck  among  its 
branches  ? ” 

“ Positive.  I did  not  take  my  eyes  off  them  for 
a moment ; and  later  I made  it  my  business  to  go 
out  and  look.  That  they  exchanged  signals  is 
scarcely  possible,  unless  they  were  remarkably 
ingenious  ones.  And  then,  had  they  desired  to 
signal,  they  could  have  done  so  at  a distance  ; it 
would  have  been  unnecessary  for  them  to  risk  at- 
tracting attention  by  drawing  so  closely  together.” 

Ashton-Kirk  did  not  reply  ; and  after  another 
period  spent  in  cogitation.  Fuller  spoke  again. 

“The  feeling  which  you  have  spoken  of  as 
existing  between  old  Nanon  and  her  employer  is 
rather  queer,  isn’t  it  ? ” 

“ Somewhat.” 

“ But  that  she  should  remain  with  him— even 


LIBRARY 

UNiVEBSlTY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBAN A 


ASHTON-KIRK 


52 

accompany  him  to  a new  country — and  all  the 
time  hate,  or  fear,  him  is  perplexing.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded,  his  eyes  half  closed. 

“ Yes,”  he  said,  “it  is  rather  so.  But,”  and  he 
opened  his  eyes,  “ don’t  forget  that  this  woman  is, 
by  her  trace  of  accent,  a Breton,  and  the  peasantry 
of  that  section  have  very  rigorous  notions  as  to 
duty.” 

“ They  must  have  if  she’s  borne  with  his  quips 
and  sneers  all  these  years.  I can  see  very  readily 
what  Warwick  meant  when  he  said  you’d  not 
wonder  at  his  lack  of  interest  in  Dr.  Morse  if  you 
knew  the  man.” 

“ When  Warwick  came  into  the  room  where  we 
w^ere  awaiting  him  last  evening,  did  you  notice 
anything  in  his  manner?” 

“ He  did  seem  rather  agitated,  now  that  I think 
of  it.  His  face  was  flushed  and  his  voice  trembled 
a bit — just  as  though  he  had  been  quarreling 
with  some  one.” 

Again  the  secret  agent  nodded. 

“ But  with  whom?”  said  he.  “ Not  Miss  Corbin, 
I feel  sure  ; and  scarcely  the  old  servant  woman.” 

“ You  think  it  was  with  Dr.  Morse?  ” eagerly. 

“ I don’t  know.  But  when  Morse  was  heard  en- 
tering the  house,  the  girl  whispered  something  to 
Warwick,  rather  pleadingly  I thought,  and  he 
brusquely  denied  having  any  intention  of  doing 
■ — whatever  it  was  that  she  spoke  of.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


53 


" Humph,”  said  Fuller. 

After  some  hours  the  train  drew  into  the  station 
at  Washington  ; at  once  they  took  a taxicab  and 
whirled  to  a government  building.  Ashton-Kirk 
was  shown  through  a spacious  suite  and  into  a 
room  where  a handsome  white-haired  gentleman 
sat  at  a huge  mahogany  desk. 

“ It  was  kind  of  you,  Mr.  Secretary,  to  put 
yourself  out,”  said  the  secret  agent. 

The  white-haired  gentleman  arose  and  shook 
his  hand  cordially. 

” I have  had  such  telegrams  from  you  before,” 
he  said,  “ and  they  have  never  failed  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  matters  of  some  interest.” 

Ashton-Kirk  sat  down  ; the  secretary  pushed  a 
box  of  long  loosely  wrapped  cigars  toward  him. 

” They  are  Porto  Ricos,”  said  he.  “ You  may 
fancy  their  flavor.” 

For  a little  time  after  lighting  the  cigars  they 
sat  in  silence  watching  the  smoke  drifts  and  en- 
joying the  aroma.  Then  Ashton-Kirk  spoke. 

“ Yesterday,”  said  he,  “ my  attention  was  called 
to  a rather  interesting  train  of  circumstances.” 

“ If  ^ou  class  it  as  interesting,”  said  the  states- 
man, “ there  is  nothing  more  to  be  said.  I recall 
several  matters  which  you  handled  in  a somewhat 
bored  fashion ; and  yet,  to  me,  they  were  in  m»tny 
ways  really  amazing.” 

“That  is,  perhaps,  because  you  held  to  the 


ASHTON-KIRK 


54 

point  of  view  of  the  spectator.  There  is  a broad 
element  of  drama  in  most  things  of  this  sort,  and 
as  a looker-on,  this  appealed  to  you.  But  this 
present  affair,”  leaning  a trifle  forward,  ” may 
have  a greatly  increased  interest  for  you,  for  the 
indications  are  that  it  will  lead  directly  to  your 
department.” 

The  secretary  knocked  a narrow  rim  of  ash  from 
his  cigar  ; he  examined  the  red  end  carefully,  and 
then  said  : 

“ Indeed  ? ” 

“ All  countries  have  had  their  secrets,”  said 
Ashton-Kirk,  after  a pause.  “ Some  never  see  the 
light — others  are  only  made  known  after  centuries. 
If  the  hidden  archives  of  the  nations  were  thrown 
open  to  the  world,  history,  perhaps,  would  have  to 
be  rewritten.  Of  course,”  with  a wave  of  one 
long  finger,  “ some  governments  have  more  of 
these  state  secrets  than  others ; the  Italian  repub- 
lics probably  were  in  the  lead  ; the  United  States 
I should  place  almost  last.” 

” You  are  very  good,”  smiled  the  secretary. 

“ But,  still,  we  have  some.  Even  in  a democ- 
racy, it  is  not  possible  to  make  public  all  the  de- 
tails of  government.  Things  are  handed  from 
one  administration  to  another  which  must  await 
the  time  of  ripening  and  fulfilment.” 

The  secretary  smoked  quietly,  but  he  said  noth- 
ing. 


SECRET  AGENT 


55 

“ These  matters,”  continued  Ashton-Kitk,  “ are 
not,  of  course,  to  be  disclosed — they  are  scarcely 
to  be  hinted  at.  But  the  case  which  I bring  to 
your  attention  perhaps  involves  a delicate  point 
of  international  relationship ; if  my  reasoning 
holds,  I do  not  require  you  to  make  any  admis- 
sions. That  you  consider  the  affair  important  and 
worth  following  out  will  be  enough.” 

“ Go  on,”  said  the  official. 

Ashton-Kirk  reflected  for  a moment ; then  with 
a smile,  he  said  : 

“ Don’t  be  alarmed  if  I date  the  beginning  of 
my  story  back  quite  a bit.  I merely  desire  to 
glance  at  one  or  two  facts  which  I consider  of 
some  importance  ; then  I will  come  as  swiftly  as  I 
may  to  the  present.”  There  was  another  pause, 
but  in  a moment  he  resumed.  “ Have  you  ever 
noticed  that  there  are  individuals  who,  without 
any  great  intimacy,  seem  to  cherish  a steady  re- 
gard for  each  other  ? There  are  families  which  do 
the  same  thing.  And  there  are  nations, 

“ Now,  I’m  going  to  take  a running  view  of 
such  a friendship  between  two  countries.  When 
George  III  was  puzzled  as  to  how  he  should  put 
down  the  rebellion  of  England’s  American  colonies 
in  the  year  1775,  he  turned  to  Russia  and  tried  to 
borrow  an  army.  Catherine  was  then  Empress 
of  Russia ; and  her  answer  to  the  request  was  a 
most  biting  one.  And  George  growled  that  she 


ASHTON-KIRK 


56 

was  a barbarian  and  contented  himself  with  Hes- 
sians and  Brunswickers. 

“ When  the  second  war  of  independence  began, 
John  Quincy  Adams  was  United  States  Minister 
at  St.  Petersburg  ; and  to  him  the  Czar  expressed 
the  keenest  regrets.  And  he  did  not  stop  at  this. 
Through  his  representative,  Daschkoof,  and  by 
personal  letters,  the  Czar  strove  to  bring  the  war 
to  an  end ; he  failed,  but  through  no  fault  of  his 
own.  The  friendly  manner  in  which  Russia 
ceded  Alaska  to  the  United  States  needs  no  com- 
ment. 

“ During  the  blackest  period  of  the  Civil  War, 
when  practically  all  Europe  favored  the  Con- 
federacy and  were  upon  the  verge  of  giving  it 
official  recognition  ; when  France  had  gone  so 
far  as  to  throw  troops  into  Mexico  in  defiance  of 
the  Monroe  doctrine,  Russia  still  stood  our  firm 
friend.  To  the  wonder  of  the  nations  she  sent  a 
fleet  across  the  Atlantic ; it  entered  our  northern 
ports  and  lay  grimly  waiting.  What  the  admiral’s 
orders  were,  only  St.  Petersburg  and  Washington 
knew ; but  that  they  warranted  his  stripping  his 
ships  for  action  in  the  event  of  certain  conditions 
arising,  I have  no  doubt. 

“ When  the  famine  swept  Russia  a score  of 
years  ago,  what  people  so  quick  to  respond  as 
our  own  ? And  when  that  same  nation,  because 
of  geographical  disadvantages,  was  outclassed  in 


SECRET  AGENT 


57 

her  war  with  Japan,  it  was  the  United  States  that 
stepped  in  and  called  a stay  which  resulted  in  the 
treaty  of  Portsmouth.” 

There  were  some  few  moments  of  silence ; the 
secretary  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  his  fingers 
pattering  upon  its  arms ; that  he  was  interested 
was  shown  by  the  quick  little  jets  of  smoke  which 
rose  above  his  head. 

“Well?”  said  he. 

“We  now  come  to  the  matter  of  present  in- 
terest,” said  Ashton-Kirk.  “ The  early  defeats  of 
Russia  at  the  hands  of  Japan  demonstrated  her 
unpreparedness  ; and  upon  the  heels  of  the  news, 
the  Russian  Count  Malikoff,  with  some  military 
officers,  came  to  Washington.  At  once  a scarcely 
audible  murmur  ran  through  the  more  daring  of 
the  newspapers,  but  almost  instantly  died  away. 
However,  one  with  his  ear  to  the  ground  could 
detect  the  falling  into  place  of  the  ponderous  parts 
of  some  international  arrangement ; but  just  what 
this  arrangement  was  has  not  been  made  known,” 

“ Well,”  said  the  secretary  again. 

Slowly  and  with  great  care,  the  secret  agent 
then  began  the  story  of  Dr.  Morse.  Starting  with 
the  visit  of  Warwick,  he  related  the  queer  happen- 
ings at  Sharsdale  ; then  came  the  flight  to  America 
and  the  grotesque  messages  which  had  so  startled 
Stella  Corbin.  He  proceeded  : 

“ A second  glance  at  the  picture  of  the  crowned 


ASHTON-KIRK 


58 

woman  handed  me  by  Warwick,  and  my  attention 
was  caught.  It  was  the  work  of  a Japanese.” 

“ Ah ! ” said  the  secretary.  And  he  sat  a trifle 
more  upright. 

“ It  was  a Japanese  with  a thoroughly  Western 
training ; but  that  his  point  of  view  was  still 
Oriental  was  plain  in  the  drawing.  It  then  oc- 
curred to  me  that  if  a Japanese  were  vitally  in- 
terested in  Dr.  Morse  he  would  be  likely  to  live 
as  near  to  him  as  he  could.  And  the  telephone 
directory  informed  me  that  the  house  directly  be- 
hind that  of  Morse  was  occupied  by  one  Okiu.” 

The  secretary  laid  down  his  cigar. 

“ Okiu ! ” said  he.  “ I think  I recall  that 
name.” 

“ And  more  than  likely  it  is  the  same  person,” 
said  Ashton- Kirk  ; “ though  as  yet  I am  not  as- 
sured of  that  fact.” 

“Well  ? ” said  the  official,  expectantly. 

“ As  you  have  seen,  the  persecution  of  Dr. 
Morse  began  only  after  his  return  from  Man- 
churia, where  he  had  served  in  the  Russian  army. 
This  in  itself  seemed  to  tell  something ; but  when 
I add  to  it  that  he  had  never  before  come  into 
contact  with  Japanese,  and  that  one  of  the  race 
was  plainly  involved,  you  will  see  that  I had  a 
fairly  good  reason  for  supposing  that  the  thing 
had  its  beginning  in  Manchuria. 

“ But  what  was  the  thing  ? Plainly  it  was  not 


SECRET  AGENT 


59 

a personal  matter,  for  his  person  and  effects  had 
been  spared  more  than  once.  Then  I got  a faint 
gleam  of  light ; for  just  about  now  the  name  of 
Drevenoff  comes  into  the  case." 

“ Drevenoff  ! ” The  official  repeated  the  name 
quietly ; his  ruddy  face  was  entirely  devoid  of  ex- 
pression. 

“ It  is  the  name  of  a young  Pole  who  is  em- 
ployed by  Morse  as  a sort  of  gardener.  He  is 
educated  and,  I understand,  capable  of  filling  a 
much  higher  position  in  life.  A few  weeks  ago 
he  came  to  Eastbury  entirely  destitute.  I recalled 
that  a Colonel  Drevenoff  made  one  of  the  party 
which  bore  Count  Malikoff  company  upon  the 
mysterious  mission  to  Washington  in  the  early 
days  of  the  Russo-Japanese  war ; I remembered 
also  that  Philip  Warwick  had  told  me  that 
Morse  had  known  young  Drevenoff’s  father. 

“ This  suggested  an  amazing  possibility.  After 
leaving  the  house  on  Fordham  Road  I consulted 
the  files  of  a newspaper  ; from  this  I learned  that 
Colonel  Drevenoff  had,  some  six  months  after 
leaving  Washington,  joined  the  army  in  Man- 
churia and  had  been  killed  in  battle.” 

The  secretary  nodded. 

“ Well  ? ” said  he. 

“ Morse  told  me,  in  the  brief  talk  that  I had 
with  him,  that  he  had  been  attached  as  surgeon 
to  the  47th  Siberian  infantry  ; and  T learned  from 


6o 


ASHTON-KIRK 


the  newspaper  file  that  Colonel  Drevenofi  had 
been  commander  of  that  very  regiment.” 

The  official  shifted  his  position ; his  face  was 
still  unreadable ; his  voice,  when  he  spoke,  was 
even. 

‘‘You  appear  to  attach  some  significance  to 
that,”  said  he. 

‘‘Suppose,”  spoke  Ashton-Kirk,  ‘‘that  Colonel 
Drevenofi  were  possessed  of  something  of  great 
value ; when  brought  in  wounded  and  dying,  what 
more  likely  thing  than  that  he  should  be  attended 
by  Dr.  Morse  ? Also  it  is  not  without  the  range 
of  possibility  that  he  should  entrust  this  precious 
possession  to  the  physician’s  keeping.” 

‘‘You  are  not  deficient  in  imagination.”  And 
as  the  secretary  said  this  he  smiled. 

‘‘  Imagination  is  a vital  necessity  in  my  work. 
Without  it  I could  make  but  little  headway.  And 
now  I will  venture  still  farther  upon  the  same  road ; 
but,  remember,  I am  claiming  nothing  substantial 
for  what  I am  about  to  say.  I merely  place  it  be- 
fore you  as  what  might  have  happened  and  ask 
you  to  fit  it  to  any  facts  of  which  you  may  be 
possessed.  That  Colonel  Drevenofi  was  in  the 
party  of  so  eminent  a diplomat  as  Count  Malikofi 
shows  him  to  have  been  a person  of  some  stand- 
ing ; that  he  should  so  suddenly  be  packed  ofi  to 
the  Orient  to  head  a provincial  regiment  indicates 
a fall  in  favor. 


SECRET  AGENT 


6i 


“ What  was  the  cause  of  this  ? I have  no  means 
of  knowing,  but  in  view  of  what  I do  know,  I can 
build  up  a structure  which  may  be  more  or  less 
composed  of  truths.  Suppose,  after  Malikoff  left 
Washington,  he  missed  something — a document, 
perhaps,  in  the  hand  of  some  person  high  in  this 
government.  Suppose  Drevenoff  were  suspected 
of  taking  it,  but  could  not  be  charged  with  the  act 
because  of  lack  of  proof.  There  we  have  a reason 
for  his  banishment.  Now  we  will  suppose  that 
Drevenoff  did  actually  take  this  paper.  Why  did 
he  do  so  ? In  order  that  he  should  profit  by  it. 
In  what  way  ? The  answer  follows  swiftly : by 
selling  it  to  the  Japanese  government.” 

The  secretary  arose  and  crossed  to  a window. 

“ It  is  rather  close  here,”  said  he.  ” But  don’t 
stop.” 

“ Suppose  the  mission  of  Malikoff  had  already 
suggested  the  existence  of  this  paper  to  Tokio ; 
but  upon  Drevenoff  getting  into  communication 
with  them,  they  learned  for  the  first  time  of  its 
reality.  But  before  the  matter  could  be  closed, 
Drevenoff  met  his  death  ; and  after  Dr.  Morse  re- 
turned to  England,  the  enemies  of  Russia  in  some 
way  discovered  that  he  had  been  made  the  cus- 
todian of  the  secret.  What  followed  has  been  in 
the  nature  of  attempts  to  gain  possession  of  the 
coveted  thing.” 

“ But  if  this  is  so,  how  do  you  account  for  the 


6z 


ASHTON-KIRK 


bizarre — almost  nonsensical  methods  employed  ? 
And  how  do  you  account  for  the  apparent  igno- 
rance of  Dr.  Morse  as  to  the  meaning  behind  this 
persecution  of  him?” 

Ashton-Kirk  shook  his  head. 

“1  do  not  account  for  it,”  he  said.  “That  is  a 
thing  which  I have  not  come  to,  as  yet.” 

The  secretary  recrossed  to  his  desk,  took  an- 
other cigar  and  pushed  the  box  toward  his  visitor ; 
after  he  had  the  long  roll  burning  freely,  he  began 
pacing  up  and  down.  After  quite  a space,  he  re- 
sumed his  chair. 

“ As  you  said  in  the  beginning,”  he  spoke, 
“ there  are  things  which  cannot  even  be  hinted 
at  before  the  time  of  ripening  and  fulfilment. 
Therefore,  I can  say  only  this : Count  Malikoff 
did  lose  a document  of  most  tremendous  impor- 
tance. Colonel  Drevenoff  was  suspected.  The 
paper  in  question,  should  it  fall  into  the  hands  of 
those  unfriendly  to  this  government,  might  cause 
a nasty  diplomatic  complication.  That  it  has  not 
done  so  as  yet,  we  feel  sure ; because  the  condi- 
tions are  such  that  immediate  and  open  steps 
would  be  taken.  But  official  Washington  has,  so 
to  speak,  been  living  over  a volcano  for  several 
years.” 

“This  is  all  you  can  say?” 

“ In  an  official  way,  yes.  But,  assuming  the 
point  of  view  of  a mere  spectator,  of  which  you 


SECRET  AGENT  63 

lately  accused  me,”  and  here  the  secretary  smiled, 
“ I should  say  that  this  matter  of  Dr.  Morse  holds 
all  the  elements  of  an  interesting  case.” 

“ I agree  with  you,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  as  he 
arose  to  his  feet  and  looked  at  his  watch,  “ and  as 
there  is  a train  in  another  half  hour  I think  I shall 
return  at  once  and  take  up  the  study  of  it.” 


CHAPTER  IV 


The  Taking  Off  of  Dr.  Morse 

As  it  happened,  Ashton- Kirk  was  too  late  to 
get  the  train  which  he  had  mentioned.  The  next 
did  not  leave  until  7:30;  and  even  this  was  de- 
layed on  the  way,  so  that  it  was  rather  an  unusual 
hour  when  they  stepped  into  the  motor  car  which 
the  waiting  Dixon  held  ready  for  them. 

The  mean  street,  with  its  high  smells  and  grimy 
buildings,  was  strangely  quiet ; the  venders’  carts, 
along  the  curb,  were  empty ; the  stands  were 
shrouded,  and  the  stores  dim-looking.  As  the 
automobile  stopped  before  the  secret  agent’s  door, 
a bell  in  a neighboring  tower  struck  one. 

“ Hello,”  cried  Fuller,  ” what’s  Stumph  doing? ” 

The  hall  door  stood  open  to  the  fullest  extent ; 
the  light  was  switched  on,  and  beneath  it  stood 
Stumph  with  a roughly-dressed  man  whom  Ash- 
ton-Kirk  an  once  recognized  as  young  Drevenoff. 
Stumph,  aroused  out  of  his  usual  gravity,  was 
gesticulating  determinedly.  Drevenoff  seemed 
insisting  upon  something  doggedly.  As  Fuller 
spoke,  the  two  heard  the  car  for  the  first  time, 
and  turned. 

“ Thank  goodness,  here  he  is  now  I ” cried 
64 


SECRET  AGENT 


65 

Stumph.  He  dashed  excitedly  down  the  step. 
“ Here  is  a man  who  desires  to  see  you,  sir,”  he 
said  to  Ashton-Kirk.  ” He  would  not  leave, 
though  I told  him  a dozen  times  that  you  were  not 
at  home.” 

The  secret  agent,  followed  by  Fuller  and  the 
man,  entered  the  hall  and  the  door  closed  behind 
them. 

“Well ?”  asked  the  former  of  Drevenoff. 

“ You  are  Mr.  Ashton-Kirk?” 

“ I am.” 

“ I was  sent  to  fetch  you  at  once  to  Dr.  Morse’s 
place  on  Fordham  Road,  Eastbury.” 

“ Who  sent  you  ? ” 

“ Miss  Corbin.” 

Ashton-Kirk  looked  at  the  young  man  ; his  face 
was  pale,  his  eyes  were  brilliant  with  excitement. 

“ Has  anything  happened  ? ” 

“ Dr.  Morse  has  been  murdered.” 

Ashton-Kirk  turned  to  Stumph. 

“ Tell  Dixon  to  wait.” 

Instantly  the  man  opened  the  door  ; the  chauf- 
feur was  upon  the  point  of  starting  away,  but 
halted  upon  hearing  Stumph’s  voice. 

“ What  trains  are  there  ? ” asked  Ashton-Kirk 
of  Drevenoff. 

“No  more  to-night,”  answered  the  man.  “ I 
had  hoped  to  find  you  before  the  last  one  left.” 

“No  matter — the  motor  will  do.” 


66 


ASHTON-KIRK 


Followed  by  the  others,  he  hastily  reached  the 
car;  Fuller  seated  himself  beside  Dixon  and 
Drevenoff  entered  the  tonneau  with  the  secret 
agent. 

“ Fordham  Road,  Eastbury,”  directed  Ashton- 
Kirk.  “ The  number  is  2979.” 

The  car  wheeled  in  its  own  length  under  the 
skilful  hand  of  Dixon ; then  it  went  speeding 
away. 

“ When  did  this  happen?”  asked  Ashton-Kirk, 
of  Drevenoff. 

“ The  murder  ? ” 

“ Of  course  ! ” sharply. 

” I don’t  know  the  hour.  Some  time  to-night.” 

“ How  was  it  done  ? ” 

” He  was  shot  through  the  chest.” 

” Where  ? ” 

“ In  his  library.” 

It  is  natural,  under  such  circumstances,  for  an 
informant  to  become  very  voluble ; but  not  so 
Drevenoff.  His  answers  were  brief ; his  manner, 
too,  was  sullen  and  unwilling. 

“ Tell  me  what  you  know  about  it,”  requested 
Ashton-Kirk. 

“ I know  very  little,”  said  the  man.  “ This 
evening  about  dark  I ate  my  dinner  and  looked  at 
the  evening  paper ; then  I went  to  my  room,  which 
is  on  the  third  floor.  I go  to  bed  early  these 
nights ; I am  not  well,  you  see.  It  must  have  been 


SECRET  AGENT 


67 

about  half-past  ten  when  I heard  a knocking  at 
my  door.  It  was  Nanon,  and  she  was  crying  out 
that  Dr.  Morse  was  dead.  I dressed  and  hurried 
down-stairs.  Dr.  Morse  was  sitting  all  huddled 
up  in  his  chair ; his  face  was  smeared  with  blood. 
Miss  Corbin  was  kneeling  beside  him ; the  old 
woman  stood  by  the  door.” 

” Is  that  all  ? ” 

“ Nanon  told  me  to  go  for  the  police  ; but  Miss 
Corbin  got  up  at  once  and  warned  me  not  to. 
There  was  a train  almost  due  ; she  told  me  to  take 
that  and  go  get  you.” 

“ I see.” 

The  big  car  rushed  along  at  high  speed  through 
the  silence  of  the  night ; in  a surprisingly  short 
time  Eastbury  was  reached  and  they  turned  into 
Fordham  Road.  The  residence  of  Dr.  Morse  was 
silent  and  dark ; the  blinds  were  closely  drawn ; 
not  even  a glimmer  of  light  was  to  be  seen  around 
their  edges.  Ashton-Kirk  touched  the  bell ; al- 
most instantly  the  door  opened  and  through  the 
darkness  a voice  asked  : 

“ Is  that  you,  Drevenoff  ? ” 

“ Yes,”  replied  the  Pole. 

“ Have  you  brought  the  gentleman  ? ” 

“ Here  he  is.” 

The  light  was  switched  on ; they  saw  the 
seamed  face  of  the  old  Breton  woman,  harsh  and 
emotionless.  She  spoke  to  Ashton-Kirk. 


68  ASHTON-KIRK 

“ Miss  Coibin  will  see  you  at  once,  sir,  if  you 
please.” 

The  secret  agent  followed  her  down  the  hall  ; 
they  passed  the  library  door,  which  was  closed ; 
and  the  old  servant  paused  at  the  room  into  which 
she  had  shown  them  the  evening  before. 

“ I will  tell  her  that  you  are  here,”  she  said. 

Ashton-Kirk  entered  the  room ; it  was  dim,  for 
only  one  light  was  burning ; the  atmosphere  was 
hushed  and  breathless ; a sort  of  terror  seemed  to 
have  settled  over  everything.  He  had  waited  but 
a few  moments  when  he  heard  a light,  hasty  step. 
Then  Stella  Corbin  came  in. 

Her  face  was  white  and  the  great  eyes  were  dry 
and  dumb  with  fear ; the  corners  of  her  mouth 
twitched.  Silently  she  held  out  both  hands  to  the 
secret  agent ; they  were  deathly  cold  and  he  felt 
them  tremble. 

“ I came  as  soon  as  I could,”  said  he. 

” I called  and  called  upon  the  telephone,  but 
they  told  me  that  you  were  not  at  home.  Then  I 
sent  Drevenoff.”  She  spoke  in  broken,  sobbing 
sentences  ; and  the  fear  in  her  eyes  crept  into 
her  voice  as  she  went  on.  “ You  see,  it  is 
as  I expected.  He  is  dead.  They  have  killed 
him.” 

" Are  you  quite  strong  enough  to  tell  me  what 
you  know?”  he  asked.  “It  is  important  that  we 
act  quickly ; the  police  will,  of  course,  be  in  the 


SECRET  AGENT  69 

house  before  long,  and  they  are  sometimes  dis- 
posed to  stand  in  the  way.” 

“ The  police  ! ” He  felt  the  small,  cold  hands 
tighten  convulsively,  and,  if  possible,  her  face  went 
still  whiter.  “ The  police  ! Oh  ! I had  forgotten 
them.” 

He  got  her  a chair,  forced  her  to  sit  down,  and 
then  took  another,  directly  facing  her.  The  light 
fell  dimly  upon  the  dark,  loosely  coiled  masses  of 
her  hair  and  brought  out  the  clear  perfection  of 
the  face.  Her  slight  figure  seemed  almost 
childish  in  the  long  enveloping  robe  which  she 
wore. 

“ I have  heard  the  manner  of  your  uncle’s 
death,”  he  said.  “ When  you  entered  the  library 
did  you  see  any  sort  of  firearms  lying  about  near 
to  his  hand  ? ” 

Instantly  she  grasped  the  meaning  behind  the 
words. 

“ No,  no,”  she  said  hastily.  “ It  was  not 
suicide  ! Tried  as  he  was,  many  would  have  re- 
sorted to  that ; but  my  uncle  was  not  of  that  sort. 
He  was  murdered.” 

“ There  were  no  firearms,  then  ? ” 

“ No.” 

“ Who  discovered  the  body  ? ” 

“ Nanon.” 

“ If  I may  I should  like  to  ask  her  a question  or 
two.” 


ASHTON-KIRK 


70 

The  old  servant  was  summoned  ; she  entered, 
angular,  severe  and  sharp  of  eye. 

“ Miss  Corbin  tells  me,”  said  the  secret  agent, 
“ that  it  was  you  who  discovered  the  body  of  Dr. 
Morse.” 

” It  was.” 

“ Would  you  mind  telling  me  how  you  came  to 
do  so  ? ” 

“ When  he  worked  at  night,  he  always  drank 
coffee  to  keep  himself  awake.  I always  made  and 
took  it  to  him.  When  I went  into  the  library  to- 
night, I found  him  sitting  in  his  chair — dead.” 

“ You  heard  no  shot  ? ” 

“ No.” 

“ When  did  you  last  see  the  doctor  alive  ? ” 

” About  half  past  nine.  I had  just  finished 
locking  all  the  windows  and  doors  when  he  rang 
for  me.” 

” Is  it  your  custom  to  lock  up  every  night  ? ” 

“Yes.  I have  always  done  so  at  nine  o’clock 
by  the  doctor’s  orders.” 

“ He  was  so  urgent  about  this,”  said  Stella, 
“ that  I have  thought  he  feared  a repetition  of  the 
entrances  which  occured  at  Sharsdale.” 

“ You  had  seen  that  everything  was  fast,  then  ? ” 
said  Ashton-Kirk,  looking  at  the  old  woman. 

“ Yes  ; every  door  and  every  window  upon  the 
lower  floor  and  every  window  overlooking  the 
porch  on  the  second  floor.  As  there  was  no 


SECRET  AGENT 


71 


way  by  which  the  house  could  be  entered  by  any 
of  the  other  windows  we  never  bothered  with 
them.” 

“You  say  Dr.  Morse  rang  for  you  as  you 
finished  locking  up  ? ” 

“Yes,  sir;  and  I answered.  He  was  in  the 
library,  and  I was  surprised  to  see  that  he  was 
dressed  as  though  he  meant  to  go  out — perhaps 
upon  a journey.  He  had  on  his  hat,  an  overcoat 
lay  across  a chair  and  he  w'as  trying  to  turn  a key 
in  the  lock  of  his  traveling  bag.  The  key  was 
bent  and  he  had  rung  for  me  that  I might  bring 
him  something  to  straighten  it  with.  But  as  he 
was  speaking  to  me,  the  lock  turned,  and  he  told 
me  that  I need  not  mind.” 

“You  say  he  was  dressed  as  though  to  go  out. 
Did  he  do  so  ? ” 

“ No,  sir.  I am  sure  of  that,  because  I went  to 
the  hall  door  and  sat  upon  the  step  for  some  time. 
It  was  a fine  night.  So  if  he  had  gone  out  I 
should  have  seen  him.” 

“ How  long  did  you  sit  there  ? ” 

“ About  ten  minutes.  Then  I went  to  prepare 
the  coffee.” 

“ While  you  sat  upon  the  step  did  you  see  or 
hear  anything?” 

“ I heard  Dr.  Morse  talking.” 

“With  whom?” 

“ I don’t  know.  I heard  a second  voice,  but 


72 


ASHTON-KIRK 


not  distinctly.  I thought  it  must  be  Miss  Stella  or 
Mr.  Warwick.” 

Here  the  girl  drew  a deep,  audible  breath,  and 
Ashton- Kirk  saw  the  old  woman  fix  her  sharp  eyes 
upon  her. 

“ But,”  resumed  Nanon,  “ Miss  Stella  tells  me 
that  it  was  not  she.” 

“ You  went  directly  from  the  library  to  the  hall 
door  after  speaking  to  Dr.  Morse,  you  say?” 

“Yes,  sir.” 

“ Did  you  close  the  door  while  you  sat  upon  the 
step?” 

“ No  ; I left  it  open,  thinking  to  hear  if  the  doc- 
tor rang  again.” 

“No  one  else  was  in  the  library  when  you 
spoke  to  the  doctor  regarding  the  key  ? ” 

“ No  one.” 

“ Was  there  a light  in  the  hallway  while  you  sat 
at  the  door  ? ” 

“ There  was.” 

“ Should  you  have  seen  any  one  entering  the 
library  ? ” 

“ I should.  To  go  into  that  room  he  would 
first  have  to  come  through  the  hall.” 

“There  were  no  visitors  in  the  house  at  any 
time  during  the  evening  ? ” 

“ No,”  said  Nanon.  “ I should  have  heard 
them  ring,  even  if  some  one  else  had  admitted 
them.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


73 


Ashton-Kirk  turned  to  the  girl. 

“ It  is  necessary  that  I know  everything  that 
can  be  told  me  as  to  what  took  place  in  the  house 
to-night.  So  you  will  pardon  a question  or  two,  I 
know.” 

She  inclined  her  head  in  answer  to  this ; but  her 
mouth  twitched  nervously,  and  her  hands  held 
tightly  to  the  chair  upon  which  she  sat. 

“ Where  were  you  when  you  learned  that  Dr. 
Morse  was  dead  ? ” proceeded  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ In  my  sitting-room,  where  I had  gone  to  read 
immediately  after  dinner.” 

“ Who  brought  the  news  ? ” 

“ Nanon.  She  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  back 
stairs  and  called  to  me.” 

“ Where  is  your  sitting-room  ? ” 

“ On  the  second  floor  at  the  back  ; the  door  was 
open  and  I heard  her  at  once.” 

“ Did  you  hear  or  see  anything  else,  previous  to 
this?” 

“ Very  early  in  the  evening  I saw  Drevenoff  go- 
ing to  his  room  on  the  third  floor ; I sat  facing 
the  doorway  and  had  a view  of  the  stairs.” 

“ He  did  not  come  down  again  ? ” 

” Not  until  Nanon  called  him.” 

“ You  are  quite  sure  of  that  ? ” 

“ Quite.  I should  have  seen  him  had  he  come 
down.” 

There  was  a pause  of  some  length  ; the  secret 


ASHTON-KIRK 


74 

agent  looked  from  one  to  the  other  of  the  two 
women,  and  finally  he  said  to  Nanon  : 

“You  say  that  you  are  not  sure  that  the  second 
voice  you  heard  in  the  library  was  Mr.  War- 
wick’s ? ” 

Again  came  the  quick,  deep  drawn  breath  from 
the  girl ; and  again  the  gray  eyes  of  the  old 
woman  sought  her  face.  At  the  same  time  she 
replied : 

“ I heard  a voice.  Whose  it  was,  I cannot 
say.” 

There  was  another  pause ; then  he  turned  to 
Miss  Corbin. 

“ At  all  events,”  said  he,  smoothly,  “ I should 
like  to  speak  to  him.” 

She  arose  a trifle  unsteady. 

“I  am  sorry,”  she  said  in  a low  voice,  “ but  I 
am  afraid  that  is  impossible,  just  now.” 

“ Impossible  ? ” 

“ He  is  not  here — he  has  gone  away.” 

“ Gone  away  ! ” It  was  old  Nanon’ s voice,  and 
it  was  pitched  a shade  higher  than  usual.  She 
took  a step  toward  the  girl,  the  thick  gray  brows 
bent  over  the  sharp-sighted  eyes.  “ Where  has 
he  gone  ? Why  did  he  go  ? ” 

The  girl  did  not  reply ; she  put  her  hands  to 
her  face,  and  the  secret  agent  as  he  looked  at  her 
saw  that  she  shivered  as  though  struck  with  a 
chill. 


SECRET  AGENT 


75 


I do  not  know,”  she  said. 

For  a moment  the  old  woman  stood  looking  at 
her,  something  like  menace  in  her  face  ; it  seemed 
as  though  she  were  about  to  burst  forth  into  a 
torrent  of  words.  But  Ashton-Kirk  rose. 

“ If  you  don’t  mind,”  said  he,  calmly,  “ I should 
like  to  go  through  the  house.” 

Slowly  the  stern  eyes  turned  from  the  girl  to 
the  speaker. 

“ You  will  not  see  him  f ” indicating  the  direc- 
tion of  the  library. 

“ Not  until  afterward.” 

Without  another  word  she  walked  toward  the 
door.  Ashton-Kirk  followed  her  ; as  he  was  step- 
ping into  the  hall  he  looked  back.  Stella  Corbin 
was  standing  erect,  her  hands  clasped,  her  face 
white  and  drawn  with  what  seemed  suspense  ; and 
the  great  dark  eyes,  filled  with  terror,  were  fixed 
steadily  upon  him. 


CHAPTER  V 


The  Hound  Strikes  the  Trail 

Old  Nanon  led  the  secret  agent  through  the 
rear  of  the  house  and  then  up  the  stairs  from  floor 
to  floor  and  room  to  room.  His  eyes  seemed  to 
take  in  everything,  guaging,  measuring,  specu- 
lating ; now  and  then  he  asked  a question  to 
which  she  returned  a brief,  illuminating  answer. 
Finally  they  descended  and  Ashton-Kirk  ex- 
amined the  front  door.  Beside  the  ordinary 
spring  lock  it  had  a heavy  bolt. 

“ When  you  left  the  step  and  went  back  into 
the  kitchen  to  prepare  the  coffee,  did  you  close 
this  door  ? ” he  asked. 

“ I did  ; and  bolted  it.” 

“ Did  you  look  at  it  after  the  body  was  found?” 

“ It  was  I who  opened  the  door  for  Drevenoff 
when  he  started  after  you.  It  was  still  bolted.” 

Both  Fuller  and  Drevenoff  stood  in  the  hall ; 
and  as  old  Nanon  paused  at  the  library  door, 
Ashton-Kirk  said  to  the  Pole  : 

” How  far  away  is  the  nearest  police  station  ? ” 

” About  half  a dozen  blocks,”  answered  the 
other. 


76 


SECRET  AGENT  77 

“ I want  you  to  go  there  at  once  and  report 
what  has  occurred.” 

“I  can  call  them  upon  the  telephone,”  sug- 
gested Drevenoff. 

“ I prefer  that  you  go  in  person,”  said  Ashton- 
Kirk,  smoothly.  ” More  than  likely  they  will  send 
a man  or  two ; if  so,  please  wait  for  and  return 
with  them.” 

Nanon  opened  the  library  door,  turned  the 
switch  which  controlled  the  library  lights,  and  then 
stepped  back. 

“ He  is  there,”  she  said,  one  lean  finger  point- 
ing to  the  empty  doorway. 

” Will  you  not  go  in  ?”  Ashton-Kirk  looked  at 
her  keenly. 

“ No.”  She  drew  back  further,  and  he  noted 
her  make  the  same  furtive  sign  that  he  had  caught 
upon  his  first  visit.  “ He  has  filled  the  world  with 
evil,”  she  went  on,  ” and  you  see  the  end  of  it. 
Who  knows  but  what  that  room  swarms  with 
things  that  the  soul  should  fear  ? ” 

With  this  she  turned  and  retraced  her  steps 
down  the  hall,  and  they  saw  her  reenter  the  room 
where  the  girl  had  been  left. 

” A queer  sort  of  old  party,”  commented  Fuller. 
“ And  one  that  seems  to  stick  to  her  opinions.” 

The  two  went  into  the  library  and  closed  the 
door  behind  them.  The  hideous  thing  which  sat 
huddled  in  the  desk  chair  compelled  their  instant 


ASHTON-KIRK 


78 

attention ; the  head  lay  tipped  back  and  the  face 
was  caked  with  dry  blood.  From  one  thing  to 
another  the  secret  agent  swiftly  turned  his  atten- 
tion ; his  singular  eyes  were  narrowed,  his  nostrils 
widened  like  those  of  a hound  searching  for  the 
scent. 

“ He  w’as  killed  while  he  sat,”  said  he  to  Fuller. 
“ His  position  in  the  chair  is  too  natural  for  it  to 
be  otherwise.  And  from  the  size  of  the  wound  I 
should  say  the  weapon  was  a small  one ; the  fact 
that  no  one,  not  even  a woman  seated  just  outside 
the  door,  heard  a report,  also  indicates  the  same 
thing.” 

Around  the  library  went  the  secret  agent ; the 
side  windows  were  tried,  but  were  fast,  as  were 
those  opening  upon  the  porch.  A raincoat  lay 
upon  the  floor  ; upon  the  top  of  the  highboy  rested 
a dark,  soft  hat. 

“ The  bag  ! ” said  Ashton-Kirk  in  a low  voice. 

“Was  there  a bag?”  asked  Fuller. 

In  a few  words  the  other  related  what  old  Nanon 
had  said.  Fuller  whistled  through  his  shut  teeth 
as  he  searched  the  room  with  a glance. 

“ It’s  gone,”  said  he,  “and  a hundred  to  one  the 
thing  we  want  is  gone  with  it.” 

“ Perhaps,”  said  Ashton-Kirk  quietly.  " But 
we  are  not  at  all  sure  of  that.  The  person  who  is 
keyed  up  to  the  pitch  of  a desperate  deed  such  as 
this  seldom  is  in  the  state  of  mind  to  make  an  in- 


SECRET  AGENT 


79 

telligent  search.  If  the  desired  thing  is  at  his 
hand,  well  and  good,  but  if  it  is  hidden  the  chances 
are  decidedly  against  him.  Witness  the  attempt 
upon  the  rubies  of  Bostwick’s  wife,  in  which 
her  butler  lost  his  life ; also  the  astonishing  matter 
of  the  numismatist  Hume.'  A miscalculation 
spoiled  the  criminals’  chances  in  the  first  case  ; 
and  a misunderstanding  with  a confederate  was 
fatal  in  the  second.  The  beast  in  a man  is  upper- 
most when  he  can  do  murder  ; and  even  the  most 
intelligent  of  beasts  is  not  a reasoning  thing.” 

“ That  sounds  like  truth,”  said  Fuller.  “ But 
this  is  the  way  I look  at  it.  Dr.  Morse  was  clearly 
in  a state  of  dread ; all  about  him  agreed  that 
these  queer  things,  which  were  continually  recur- 
ring, had  broken  his  nerve.  A servant  enters  a 
room  and  finds  him  preparing  for  a journey.  Yet 
apparently  he  has  not  mentioned  his  intentions  in 
this  regard  even  to  his  niece,  to  whom  he  is  much 
attached.  To  my  mind  this  indicates  that  he  was 
about  to  run  off  somewhere  without  saying  any- 
thing to  any  one.  He  feared  to  remain  and  he 
feared  to  tell  that  he  was  going,  thinking  it  would, 
somehow,  leak  out.” 

“Well,  and  what  next?” 

“ The  most  natural  thing  for  him  to  do  under 
the  circumstances,”  proceeded  Fuller,  “ would  be 

^ For  the  details  of  the  case  of  the  numismatist  Hume,  see  the  first 
book  of  this  series  : “ Ashton-Kirk,  Investigator.” 


8o 


ASHTON-KIRK 


to  take  with  him  the  article  which  created  all  the 
fuss.  It  would  be  against  human  nature  to  leave 
it  behind.  He  was  about  to  put  it  into  the  bag, 
or  he  had  already  done  so,  when  the  servant  saw 
him  endeavoring  to  turn  the  key.” 

“ That,”  smiled  the  secret  agent,  “ is  rather  well 
thought  out.  But  you  have  overlooked  one  thing. 
That  Dr.  Morse  intended  doing  as  you  state  would 
necessitate  his  knowing  definitely  what  his  mys- 
terious communicants  desired.  His  own  acts  and 
especially  his  own  words,  as  overheard  by  his 
niece,  indicate  the  reverse  of  this.  And  if  he  did 
not  know  what  they  wanted,”  with  a twinkle  in 
his  eye,  “ it  is  certain  that  he  could  not  pack  it 
away  in  a bag.” 

Fuller  looked  perplexed,  but  nodded  under- 
standingly. 

“ That’s  so,”  said  he.  ” I forgot,  for  a moment, 
that  the  case  had  that  peculiar  phase.”  Again  he 
looked  all  about.  " However,”  he  continued,  ” the 
bag  is  not  here,  and  if  the  murderer  took  it  with 
him,  you  can  bet  that  he  had  an  excellent  reason 
for  so  doing.” 

While  Fuller  was  speaking,  Ashton-Kirk  lifted 
the  coat  from  the  floor ; several  of  the  pockets 
were  pulled  out.  At  once  he  examined  the  coat 
worn  by  the  dead  man ; the  inside  pockets  of  this 
were  also  turned  out,  as  were  those  upon  the  lower 
outside. 


SECRET  AGENT 


8i 


“ There  was  a search,”  said  he.  “ But,  as  be- 
fore, when  the  house  at  Sharsdale  was  broken  into, 
the  personal  valuables  were  not  its  object.  Here 
is  his  watch  in  his  fob  pocket,  and  this,”  taking  up 
a torn  card  case  from  the  desk,  “lies  just  where 
the  criminal  flung  it  in  his  anger  at  not  finding 
what  he  wanted.  Its  contents,”  pointing  to  a 
tightly  wadded  heap  of  bills  also  upon  the  desk, 
“are  there.” 

“ Suppose,”  doubted  Fuller,  “that  the  paper 
wanted  was  in  this  pocket  case.  The  murderer 
would  have  taken  it.  As  it  stands,  you  do  not 
know  whether  he  found  it  or  not.” 

“ I think  I do,”  replied  Ashton- Kirk.  “ A man 
who  has  sought  for  a thing  for  a long  time  is  de- 
lighted at  finding  it.  The  man  who  threw  those 
bills  upon  the  desk,”  holding  up  the  tightly  twisted 
lump,  “ was  angry.  That  is  plain  in  the  vehe- 
mence of  the  act.” 

He  stooped  and  pulled  open  drawer  after  drawer 
in  the  desk ; their  contents  were  tumbled,  showing 
that  a rough  and  hasty  hand  had  been  plunged 
into  them.  Fuller  was  gazing  in  fascinated  silence 
at  the  long,  supple,  inquiring  fingers  as  they  deftly 
ran  through  everything ; then  suddenly  he  noted 
them  halt.  At  once  his  glance  went  to  the  owner’s 
face  ; Ashton-Kirk,  his  eyes  turned  in  a sidelong 
look  toward  a door  at  the  rear  of  the  room,  stood 
in  an  attitude  of  listening.  Fuller  was  about  to 


82 


ASHTON-KIRK 


speak,  but  the  other  lifted  his  hand  in  a warning 
gesture.  There  was  an  instant’s  silence,  the  secret 
agent  listening  as  before ; then  he  bent  toward 
Fuller  and  said  softly : 

“ Switch  off  the  lights  ! ” 

Stealthily  Fuller  crossed  the  room  and  did  so  ; 
then  he  stood  waiting.  In  a few  moments  he 
heard  a slight  creak  from  the  hall,  and  a muffled 
sort  of  jar.  A minute  or  two  passed  ; he  was  then 
astonished  to  hear  the  voice  of  the  secret  agent 
speaking  in  an  unconcerned  tone  of  voice. 

“ Hello,”  muttered  the  young  man,  “ he  is 
mighty  cool  about  it,  whatever  it  is.  Turning  off 
the  lights  to  hold  a conversation  is  rather  new,  I 
should  say,  outside  of  a spiritualistic  seance.” 

A short  time  passed  ; then  steps  came  along  the 
darkened  hall,  and  Ashton-Kirk’s  voice  said  : 

” Now,  Fuller,  the  lights,  if  you  please.” 

Fuller  turned  on  the  lights  once  more,  and  again 
the  two  entered  the  library. 

“ I thought  I heard  you  speaking  to  some  one,” 
said  Fuller  inquiringly. 

“ Over  the  telephone,”  said  the  other,  quietly. 
“ There  was  a little  matter  that  I desired  informa- 
tion upon.” 

Again  he  resumed  his  inspection  of  the  room. 
The  furniture,  piece  by  piece,  passed  under  his 
keen  eye ; the  floor,  the  walls,  the  hangings,  the 
books  and  writing  materials — nothing  escaped 


SECRET  AGENT 


83 

him.  At  length  he  came  once  more  to  the  high- 
boy with  its  numerous  drawers  and  glistening 
glass  knobs. 

First  one  and  then  another  of  the  drawers  he 
pulled  open ; like  those  of  the  desk,  they  told  of 
the  same  hasty  hand.  However,  this  seemed  to 
be  all  they  had  to  tell,  for  the  secret  agent  did  not 
spend  more  than  an  instant  over  each.  But  as  he 
was  about  to  open  the  last  but  one.  Fuller  saw  him 
pause  and  bend  nearer.  Then  out  came  a 
morocco  case  and  from  this  was  produced  a 
powerful  magnifying  glass.  It  was  the  knob 
upon  the  left  hand  side  of  the  drawer  that  had 
caught  his  attention  ; putting  the  lens  on  this  it 
threw  up  a thick,  dark  splotch. 

“ Blood  ! ” said  Ashton-Kirk. 

Fuller  bent  forward  with  great  interest. 

“ In  searching  the  body  after  the  shooting,” 
said  he,  “ the  fellow,  whoever  he  was,  probably 
came  in  contact  with  the  flow  from  the  wound. 
And  in  opening  the  drawer  he  transferred  it  to  the 
knob.” 

But  Ashton-Kirk  shook  his  head. 

“ No,”  said  he.  “ It  is  his  own  blood.  Look  ! ” 
and  he  ran  the  glass  from  knob  to  knob  upon  the 
other  drawers  ; ” there  are  no  marks  here.  And 
yet  a man  making  a search  would  invariably  start 
at  the  top,  as  I have  done.”  Then  the  lens  shifted 
back  to  the  knob  with  the  splotch.  “ Mark  this- 


84  ASHTON-KIRK 

one  closely,”  he  added,  “ and  tell  me  what  you 
see.” 

“ The  knob  has  been  broken,”  said  Fuller  at  the 
first  glance. 

“Exactly.  All  along  its  top  there  is  a keen 
ragged  ridge.  Probably  seizing  this  to  tear  open 
the  drawer,  the  criminal  cut  himself.” 

For  a moment  the  speaker  stood  studying  the 
broken  knob  with  its  particle  of  dried  blood ; then 
like  a flash  he  turned  to  Fuller,  his  singular  eyes 
ablaze,  and  snapped  : 

“ On  the  desk  there  is  a paper-weight.  Get  it.” 

Fuller,  astonished,  did  as  he  was  bidden. 

“ What  now  ? ” he  inquired. 

“ Throw  it  through  a bookcase  door,”  was 
Ashton-Kirk’s  astonishing  reply. 

Fuller  stood  amazed 

“ What  ? ” gasped  he. 

“ Throw  it  through  a bookcase  door,”  repeated 
the  secret  agent,  busy  with  his  lens. 

Fuller  stood  a moment,  hesitating ; the  other 
arose  impatiently,  took  the  heavy  paper-weight 
from  him  and  sent  it  crashing  through  the  door  of 
the  nearest  case.  The  glass  splintered  and  fell 
jingling  to  the  floor ; Ashton- Kirk  selected  two 
small  pieces  and  handed  them  to  Fuller. 

“ In  the  kitchen  you  will  find  hot  water  and 
soap  ; wash  and  dry  these  carefully.” 

The  assistant  went  hastily,  and  while  he  was 


SECRET  AGENT 


85 

gone,  Ashton-Kirk  bent  once  more  over  the  broken 
knob.  With  the  thin  blade  of  a pocket-knife  he 
picked  at  the  fragment  of  dried  blood  ; finally  he 
worked  it  loose  and  caught  it  upon  a card  as  it 
fell.  Carrying  this  to  a small  table  above  which 
hung  a light,  he  examined  it  carefully.  Then  to 
Fuller,  as  the  latter  returned,  he  said  : 

“ Are  they  ready  ? ” 

“All  ready,”  replied  Fuller,  and  he  placed 
the  two  pieces  of  glass  ready  to  his  employer’s 
hand. 

Once  more  Ashton-Kirk  looked  at  the  blood 
clot ; selecting  that  portion  of  it  which  appeared 
to  be  thickest  he  pressed  the  back  of  the  knife 
blade  carefully  against  it ; then  taking  it  up  with 
the  tip  of  his  fingers  he  carefully  broke  it  in  two 
at  the  exact  place.  Sharply  he  brought  the 
pieces  under  the  light ; two  crimson,  shining  spots 
of  uncongealed  blood  showed  within  the  outer 
crust. 

“ Excellent,”  said  the  secret  agent.  “ I thought 
it  possible,  but  scarcely  dared  hope  for  it.” 

One  after  another  and  with  delicate  care  he  ap- 
plied the  newly  exposed  surfaces  of  the  clot  to 
one  of  the  bits  of  glass ; a fair  sized  smear  of  red 
appeared  upon  the  smooth  glaze.  Then  he  drew 
the  second  glass  across  the  top  of  the  first ; the 
result  was  that  he  now  possessed  two  distinct 
smears  of  the  blood. 


86 


ASHTON-KIRK 


With  much  satisfaction  he  placed  these  upon 
the  top  of  the  highboy. 

“ Now  we’ll  leave  them  to  dry,”  said  he,  “ and 
in  this  place  they’ll  not  be  likely  to  be  dis- 
turbed.” 

Fuller  was  filled  with  curiosity  as  to  the  mean- 
ing of  the  foregoing  performance,  but  the  other 
had  already  resumed  his  prowling  up  and  down, 
and  the  aide  understood  that  this  was  no  time  for 
questions. 

After  a little,  Ashton-Kirk  opened  the  door  at 
the  back  of  the  library,  and  they  entered  the  rear 
room.  There  was  a long  window  overlooking  the 
lawn,  and  a door  opening  into  the  hallway.  The 
room  was  scantily  furnished  ; but  upon  the  shelves 
were  a stack  of  books  in  wrappers ; also  there 
were  a number  of  filing  cabinets. 

The  secret  agent  looked  at  some  of  the  books. 

“ Remnants  of  editions,”  he  said.  “ Morse  was 
his  own  publisher,  it  seems.” 

Fuller  examined  the  window. 

” All  tight,”  said  he.  ” A Caspar  window 
holder.” 

The  door  leading  to  the  hall  was  fitted  with  a 
large  old-fashioned  lock,  from  which  protruded  a 
copper  key. 

“That  looks  safe  enough,”  said  Fuller,  as  he 
glanced  at  this. 

“ If  it  were  fast  it  might  be,”  said  the  other, 


SECRET  AGENT  87 

drily.  “ But  I had  occasion  to  use  it  while  you 
had  the  lights  out,  and  found  it  unlocked.” 

Nanon  was  summoned  and  Ashton-Kirk  met 
her  in  the  hall. 

“ This  door,”  said  he ; “ is  it  usually  left  un- 
locked?” 

“ Never,”  she  answ^ered.  “ Dr.  Worse  always 
had  it  fast  from  the  inside.  He  kept  his  books 
and  papers  there,  and  did  not  care  to  have  them 
disturbed.” 

“That  will  do,”  said  Ashton-Kirk.  The  old 
woman  was  just  about  to  turn  away  when  there 
came  a loud  peal  at  the  door-bell. 

“ The  police,”  said  Fuller. 

“ Go  and  see,”  said  Ashton-Kirk  to  Nanon. 

Grimly,  she  went  along  the  hall,  her  spare, 
strong  figure  iron-like  in  its  rigidity  ; Fuller’s  eyes 
followed  her  and  then  turning  to  the  secret  agent, 
he  said  : 

“ The  thing  looks  queer,  doesn’t  it  ? Everything 
tight  as  wax,  but  a very  effective  job  done  for  all.” 
Then,  lowering  his  voice,  he  added : “ There 

were  only  four  of  them  inside  ; and  from  my  way 
of  thinking  the  thing  rests  between  them.” 

The  front  door  had  opened  in  the  meantime ; 
they  heard  the  murmur  of  voices  and  then  it 
closed  sharply.  The  old  Breton  woman  hurried 
back  to  where  they  stood ; and  as  she  came  the 
hall  lights  showed  that  her.  lined  face  had  gone  a 


88  ASHTON-KIRK 

livid  yellow ; her  bony,  large  veined  hands  were 
outstretched. 

“ Who  is  it  ? ” asked  Ashton- Kirk. 

She  pointed  toward  the  door  quiveringly. 

“ The  Japanese,”  she  answered- 


CHAPTER  VI 


The  Visit  of  Okiu 

For  a moment  there  was  a silence  ; then  Fuller 
spoke. 

“ Japanese ! ” exclaimed  he.  “ At  this  time  of 
the  night  ? They  are  original  in  their  choice  of 
hours,  anyhow.” 

“ Let  them  come  in,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  quietly. 

The  old  woman  turned  her  startled  face  toward 
him  ; her  hands  went  up  rebelliously. 

” No,”  she  said.  ” They  must  not  come  in — at 
this  time  above  all  others.” 

The  singular  eyes  of  the  secret  agent  fixed  them- 
selves upon  her  steadily. 

” Show  them  into  the  room  across  from  the 
library,”  said  he  in  an  even  tone.  “ Itis  necessary 
that  I should  speak  to  them.” 

The  stern  gray  eyes  met'the  dark  ones  squarely. 
There  was  no  sign  of  weakening  in  them  ; the 
yellow  tinge  left  the  old  face  ; the  hands  fell  at  her 
side. 

“ Very  well,”  she  said,  after  a moment.  “ But 
let  it  be  understood  that  I lifted  my  voice  against 
it” 


89 


90 


ASHTON-KIRK 


Again  she  went  to  the  door  ; they  heard  the  bolt 
shot  and  a rush  of  air  told  them  the  door  had 
opened.  From  where  they  stood  they  had  no 
view  of  the  entrance,  as  the  stairway  shut  it  off. 
Again  there  came  the  voices,  then  footsteps  and 
once  more  the  door  closed.  In  a moment  the  old 
woman  returned.  She  pointed  down  the  hall. 

“ I have  done  what  you  ordered,”  she  said. 
Then  in  an  ominous  tone  she  added  : “ And  I 
trust  no  harm  comes  of  it.” 

With  that  she  went  on,  and  they  saw  her  enter 
the  rear  room  once  more.  Ashton-Kirk  spoke 
quietly  to  Fuller. 

“ Stand  in  the  hall  and  busy  yourself  somehow.” 

“ I understand,”  answered  Fuller. 

Ashton-Kirk  approached  the  room  into  which 
the  visitors  had  been  shown,  and  went  in. 

Two  men  arose  upon  the  entrance  of  the  secret 
agent.  One  was  the  small  gray-haired  man 
Ashton-Kirk  had  seen  weeding  the  lawn  two  days 
before  ; the  other  was  larger  in  girth  and  taller ; 
his  face  was  yellow  and  as  devoid  of  lines  as  that 
of  an  infant. 

It  was  the  latter  who  spoke. 

“ Do  I see  Dr.  Morse  ? ” he  inquired.  The  ac- 
cent was  perfect,  the  voice  soft,  smooth  and  almost 
caressing.  Ashton-Kirk,  as  he  looked  at  him,  saw 
that  the  lineless  face  was  singularly  expressionless ; 
however,  a pair  of  jetty  eyes  looked  out  piercingly 


SECRET  AGENT 


91 

from  between  the  drooping  lids  and  the  chin  pro- 
truded with  much  natural  resolution. 

“ I am  a friend  of  the  family,”  said  the  secret 
agent.  “ If  there  is  anything  that  I can  do  I shall 
be  pleased.” 

The  Japanese  smiled. 

“You  are  very  good,”  said  he.  “ But  it  is  Dr. 
Morse  whom  I wish  to  see.” 

The  voice  was  soft  and  purring ; it  was  as 
though  he  were  speaking  to  a child. 

“ If  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  call  him,” 
suggested  the  speaker,  “ I will  be  obliged  to 
you.” 

“ That,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  “ is  a thing  which  I 
should  readily  do  if  it  could  have  any  effect.  But 
it  would  not.  Dr.  Morse  is  dead.” 

There  was  complete  silence  for  a moment ; a 
tall  clock  ticked  solemnly  at  one  side  ; its  strokes 
now  seemed  to  grow  quicker  and  louder,  like  the 
heart-beats  of  a man  fighting  down  an  increasing 
excitement. 

“ Dead ! ” said  the  small  man  in  a throaty 
voice. 

“ Not  that,  surely  ! ” spoke  the  other,  and  one 
hand  went  out,  as  though  in  protest. 

“ He  is  dead,”  said  the  secret  agent.  " And 
more,  he  has  been  murdered.” 

“ No,  no,”  cried  the  small  man.  “ That  is  hor- 
rible 1 ” 


92 


ASHTON-KIRK 


The  other  approached  a step  or  two  ; both  hands 
were  gesticulating  as  though  he  found  it  difficult 
to  find  words.  And  the  hands  were  quite  wonder- 
ful, slim  and  strong  and  beautifully  shaped.  Their 
color  was  a bright  saffron,  the  fingers  were  long 
and  as  supple  as  those  of  a magician ; their  tips 
were  delicately  pointed,  the  nails  rounded  and 
gleaming. 

“ This  what  you  tell  us,”  said  he,  “ is  a frightful 
thing  ! Murdered  ! And  by  whom  ? ” 

Ashton-Kirk  shook  his  head. 

” That,”  said  he,  “ is  yet  to  be  learned.” 

“ But  the  police  ? They  are  not  here  ? ” 

“ No.” 

One  of  the  wonderful  hands  touched  the  smaller 
man  upon  the  shoulder. 

” Humadi,”  said  the  gentle  voice,  “ murder  has 
been  done  and  the  police  are  not  here.” 

The  eyes  of  the  gray-haired  Japanese  sought 
those  of  his  companion  ; and  a look  as  rapid  as 
lightning  passed  between  them. 

“The  West  prides  itself  on  many  things,”  said 
Humadi,  “ but  in  Tokio,  this  would  not  be  so.” 

“ The  officers  will  arrive  in  due  course,”  said 
Ashton-Kirk,  quietly.  “But,  in  the  meantime,  if 
there  is  anything  that  I can  do,  I shall  be,  as  I said 
before,  much  pleased.” 

“ Will  you  permit  me  to  sit  down  ? ” asked  the 
taller  of  the  two.  “ Thank  you  ; and  you  will  sit 


SECRET  AGENT 


93 

there,  will  you  not  ? ” As  he  spoke  he  smiled 
and  pushed  a chair  toward  the  secret  agent  in  such 
a way  that  it  would  bring  his  back  toward  the  door 
if  he  sat  in  it.  But  Ashton-Kirk  took  it  readily, 
without  a sign  that  he  noticed  anything  studied  in 
the  act. 

“ My  name,”  said  the  Japanese,  as  he  seated 
himself  facing  Ashton-Kirk,  “ is  Okiu.  My  house 
is  on  the  next  street ; the  back  you  can  see  from 
the  rear  windows  of  this.  On  the  second  floor 
there  is  a room  where  I read  and  smoke  and 
study.  It  is  at  the  back,  and  there,”  with  a wave 
of  the  hand,  “ I sat  to-night.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded. 

“It  is  in  the  blood  of  all  lands,”  proceeded 
Okiu,  “ to  love  its  native  literature.  I have  many 
quaint  books  and  rare  manuscripts  ; they  are  full 
of  the,  as  you  of  the  West  call  it,  folk-lore  of  my 
people.  I love  it ; ” the  soft  voice  seemed  to  caress 
the  subject  on  which  it  dwelt ; “ I sit  and  smoke 
and  dream  for  hours.  The  bright  legends  of  the 
Samurai  sound  like  music  to  the  mind ; and  for- 
gotten heroes  rise  before  me  in  all  their  ancient 
power.”  Here  he  laughed  gently.  “ You  see,” 
said  he,  “ how  filled  I am  with  the  subject,  when  I 
drift  unconsciously  into  it  at  a time  like  this. 

“ To-night  I was  so  engaged.  I was  deep  in  a 
book  lately  sent  me  by  a friend,  a reprint  of  a 
precious  writing  that  I had  never  before  seen.  I 


94 


ASHTON-KIRK 


became  lost  in  its  pages  ; two,  three  hours  slipped 
by  before  I knew  it.  But  when  the  clock  struck 
ten,  I got  up  and  turned  off  the  light,  for  I live 
very  strictly,”  smilingly,  ” much  as  one  of  the 
recluses  of  the  waste  places  of  our  own  island. 
The  night  was  beautiful,  however,  and  I stood  for 
a little  looking  out.  The  shadows  fell  in  long  lines 
and  finally  upon  the  edge  of  one  of  these — the 
shadow  cast  by  this  very  house — I saw  something 
stir.” 

The  last  word  had  hardly  left  his  lips  when 
there  came  a sharp  swift  rustle  in  the  hall,  an  ex- 
clamation and  the  sound  of  a closing  door. 

“ What  is  that  ? ” cried  Okiu,  as  he  came  to  his 
feet. 

“ I’m  inclined  to  think  it’s  your  friend,”  said 
Ashton-Kirk,  as  he  lounged  back  in  his  chair.  “ I 
rather  wondered  why  he  went  out  into  the  hall.” 

Humadi  appeared  in  the  doorway,  his  manner 
apologetic,  but  a heavy  furrow  between  his  eyes. 
Fuller  glanced  in,  over  his  shoulder. 

“ The  gentleman  made  a mistake  in  the  room,” 
said  he.  “ If  I startled  him  in  putting  him  right, 
I’m  sorry.” 

” It  is  my  place  to  ask  pardon,”  said  Humadi  to 
Ashton-Kirk.  “ While  you  talked  to  my  friend  I 
stepped  into  the  hall  thinking  to  observe  some- 
thing which  might  be  of  value  to  the  police  when 
they  came.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


95 

“ I thank  you  for  your  interest,”  said  the  secret 
agent.  “ It  is  kind  of  you  to  trouble  yourself. 
The  door  across  the  way  leads  to  the  room  where 
the  body  lies,  and  it  is  as  well  that  it  be  kept 
closed.” 

“ It  is  for  you  to  say,”  agreed  Humadi,  as  he  sat 
down,  wearing  a somewhat  baffled  look. 

Okiu  laughed  softly,  and  the  wonderful  hands 
gestured  appreciation. 

“ You  do  not  know  Humadi,”  he  said  to  Ashton- 
Kirk ; “ you  do  not  know  him,  or  you  would  not 
wonder  at  him  for  this.  His  is  one  of  the  helpful 
natures  ; always  is  he  desirous  of  being  of  assist- 
ance. To  aid  others  is  his  one  ambition.” 

” Ah,  yes,  to  be  sure.”  And  Ashton-Kirk’s 
fine  white  teeth  shone  in  a smile  of  understand- 
ing. “ One  meets  people  of  that  sort  now  and 
then,  but  upon  the  whole  such  natures  are  rare.” 

” Rare,  indeed ! But  the  world,”  caressingly, 
“ would  be  greatly  the  better  if  there  were  more.” 
There  was  an  instant’s  pause,  then  Okiu  went  on  : 
“ As  I was  saying,  while  I stood  at  my  window,  I 
saw  a stirring  just  upon  the  edge  of  the  shadow 
cast  by  this  house.  It  was  not  a very  marked 
movement,  and  at  first  I thought  it  must  be  some- 
thing waving  in  the  breeze.  But  after  a little  I 
knew  that  this  was  not  so  ; the  movement  was  too 
intelligent ; I felt  that  there  was  some  one  lurking 
about  on  the  lawn.  Then  I called  Humadi ; and 


ASHTON-KIRK 


96 

when  he  came  he  said — what  was  it  you  said, 
Humadi?”  turning  to  the  gray-haired  man. 

“ I said  it  must  be  men,”  said  the  other  Japanese 
promptly.  “ And  I said  that  there  were  more  than 
one,  and  that  they  appeared  to  be  thieves.” 

“ He  has  such  excellent  vision,”  said  Okiu,  ap- 
provingly, to  Ashton-Kirk.  “ He  is  many  years 
older  than  I,  but  his  eyes  are  like  those  of  a boy. 
Yes,  he  said  that  they  must  be  thieves,  and  I 
agreed  with  him.  We  watched  for  some  time,  but 
the  shadows  were  so  dense  that  we  could  make 
out  little  or  nothing.  Then  suddenly  we  saw  a 
man  emerge  into  the  moonlight.” 

“ A tall  man,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  “ broad  in  the 
shoulders,  and  carrying  a leather  bag.” 

Both  Japanese  turned  their  eyes  upon  him  with 
swift  surprise. 

“ You  saw  him? ” cried  Humadi. 

“No,  I merely  fancied  that  it  might  be  so.” 

The  surprise  died  quickly  out  of  Okiu’s  eyes  ; 
and  in  its  place  came  a look  that  was  peculiarly 
speculative  ; from  the  beginning  he  had  regarded 
Ashton-Kirk  with  interest ; but  to  this  was  now 
added  surmise  and,  perhaps,  quickening  dread. 
But  when  he  spoke  his  voice  showed  no  trace  of 
this. 

“Your  imagination  is  excellent,”  purred  he, 
gently ; “ indeed,  it  amounts  to  something  like 
second  sight.  You  are  quite  right,  sir,”  his  glance 


SECRET  AGENT 


97 

running  over  Ashton-Kirk ; “ he  was  tall  and  well 
set,  and  also  young,  judging  by  the  ease  with 
which  he  leaped  over  the  fence.  After  this,  as 
nothing  more  happened,  I went  to  bed.  But  I 
could  not  sleep.  I felt  sure  that  something  had 
occurred,  and  it  troubled  me.  At  last  I got  up, 
called  to  Humadi  and  came  here  to  speak  to  Dr. 
Morse.” 

Here  the  Japanese  arose ; the  smooth  chubby 
face  expressed  no  emotion,  but  the  eyes,  the  hands, 
the  whole  body  showed  evidences  of  shock. 

“ I thought,”  said  he,  “ to  tell  of  a mere  rob- 
bery ; but  I find  something  more  terrible ! ” Then 
as  though  a thought  had  occurred  to  him.  “ But 
the  others — the  young  lady?  the  young  man? 
They  met  with  no  harm  ? ” 

The  secret  agent  shook  his  head. 

“ No,”  replied  he. 

“ That  is  well ! The  other  is  a frightful  calam- 
ity, but  even  that  could  be  worse.”  He  seemed 
to  hesitate  for  a space,  then  added  in  another 
tone:  “You  will  express  my  sympathy  to 
them?” 

“ I will,”  said  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ I would  not  disturb  them  now,”  and  Okiu 
gestured  the  idea  from  him.  “ No,  that  would 
not  do.  But  I will  leave  my  sorrow  with  you.  It 
is  fitter  that  it  should  be  mentioned  by  an  old 
friend  of  the  family  like  yourself.”  Again  there 


ASHTON-KIRK 


98 

was  a slight  pause  ; the  speaker  looked  at  Ashton- 
Kirk  inquiringly  as  he  asked  : 

“ Am  I right  in  understanding  you  to  say  that 
you  are  an  old  friend  of  the  family  ? ” 

“ A friend,  yes,”  answered  Ashton- Kirk,  readily. 
“ But  scarcely  what  could  be  called  an  old  one.” 

“ Ah ! ” The  drooping  lids  almost  hid  the 
searching  black  eyes.  “ Then  you  have  not  known 
them  long  ? ” 

“ For  two  days  merely.” 

“ Two  days  1 ” 

Again  the  glances  of  the  yellow  men  met,  and 
again  did  a rapid  intelligence  pass  between  them. 

“ I'wo  days,”  repeated  Okiu,  softly.  “ That  is 
odd,  is  it  not  ? ” * 

“ Acquaintances  must  begin  some  time,”  pro- 
tested the  secret  agent. 

“To  be  sure.  But  that  your  acquaintance  with 
Dr.  Morse  should  begin  last  night,  and  that  he 

should  die  to-night ” 

“Well?”  The  keen  eyes  of  Ashton-Kirk  met 
the  peering  ones  of  Okiu  inquiringly. 

“ Fate  seemed  determined  that  the  friendship 
should  not  grow,”  answered  the  Japanese,  gently. 
“ It  is  strange  how  things  come  about,  is  it  not  ? ” 
Ashton-Kirk  also  got  upon  his  feet. 

“ Fate  seldom  consults  us,”  he  said,  drily.  “ If 
it  did,  perhaps  things  would  happen  differently.” 
Just  then  there  came  the  growing  sound  of 


SECRET  AGENT 


99 


voices  without ; the  shuffle  of  feet  was  heard  upon 
the  walk  and  then  more  noisily  upon  the  porch. 
The  bell  rang  in  long  streams  of  sound. 

“ The  police,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  looking  at  his 
watch.  “ Their  methods  are  as  distinguishable  as 
their  uniforms.” 

Fuller  looked  in ; the  secret  agent  nodded  and 
the  young  man  stepped  briskly  toward  the  hall 
door.  In  another  moment  a thick-set  man  in  a 
sergeant’s  dress  entered  the  room,  and  with  him 
were  two  patrolmen. 

” How  are  you?”  said  the  sergeant,  nodding  to 
the  three  men.  “ Members  of  the  family?” 

In  a few  moments  the  status  of  the  Japanese  was 
explained ; the  sergeant  listened  to  their  story  of 
the  prowler  with  satisfaction. 

“ There’s  the  party  we  want,”  said  he.  “ Had 
a bag,  did  he  ? Humph  ! Full  of  swag.  I’ll  bet.” 
He  then  took  Okiu’s  name  and  address.  ‘‘A 
headquarters  man  will  go  on  this  case,  of  course,” 
continued  the  sergeant,  “and  he’ll  want  to  hear 
you  tell  about  that.  And  in  the  meantime,”  stuff- 
ing his  note-book  into  his  breast  pocket,  “ I’ll  have 
to  ask  you  all  to  go.  We’ve  got  to  look  things 
over,  and  get  the  hang  of  it  all,  and  you  can  see 
how  too  many  people  would  be  in  the  way.” 

As  Ashton-Kirk  and  Fuller  emerged  from  the 
house,  they  found  the  two  Japanese  standing  by 
the  gate.  Dixon,  who  had  been  waiting  all  this 


lOO 


ASHTON-KIRK 


time,  threw  on  the  power  at  sight  of  his  employer, 
and  the  engine  of  the  big  French  car  began  to 
hum  in  the  silence. 

“ Good-night,”  said  Okiu,  gently,  a smile  upon 
his  smooth  face.  ” I shall  see  you  again,  sir.” 

Ashton- Kirk  waved  his  hand  in  answer ; and 
as  the  car  started  off,  and  he  and  Fuller  settled 
themselves  back,  the  latter  said  : 

“ Did  you  notice  the  way  that  fellow  said  that  ? 
It  sounded  to  me  much  as  though  he  had  some- 
thing against  you,  and  meant  to  get  square.” 

“ Perhaps,”  returned  Ashton-Kirk  quietly,  “ that 
is  what  he  meant.  One  can  never  tell.” 


CHAPTER  VII 


The  Methylene  Stain 

The  following  morning  the  secret  agent  sat  in 
his  study  immersed  in  the  newspapers.  Each 
contained  a circumstantial  account  of  the  murder 
of  Dr.  Morse,  and  each,  according  to  its  policy, 
commented  thereon.  Much  was  made  of  the  mys- 
terious happenings  at  Sharsdale  and  the  equally 
mysterious  communications  at  Eastbury ; the 
police  had  gone  to  apprehend  Karkowsky  at  his 
lodgings,  but  he  was  missing. 

The  Star,  true  to  its  enterprising  spirit,  con- 
tained front  page  reproductions  of  the  three  draw- 
ings which  young  Warwick  had  shown  Ashton- 
Kirk. 

“ The  pictures,”  said  this  newspaper,  “ will  in 
the  end  be  found  to  contain  the  solution  of  the  en- 
tire matter.  What  they  mean  and  why  the  colors 
varied  so  is  just  now  a puzzle.  The  crowned 
woman  and  the  cross  with  the  different  colored 
strokes  are  at  this  stage  of  the  case  absolutely 
without  meaning.  But  the  police  are  working 
upon  this  phase  of  the  affair  with  much  interest 
and  zeal ; and  any  hour  may  bring  forth  amazing 
results.  Osborne,  a talented  man  from  the  cen- 


lOI 


102 


ASHTON-KIRK 


tral  office,  has  the  matter  in  hand ; and  judging 
from  past  performances,  he  should  accomplish 
wonders.” 

“ Well,  there  are  worse  than  Osborne,”  com- 
mented Fuller  when  his  employer  pointed  out  the 
latter  passage,  ” but  he’ll  never  set  the  earth  to 
rocking,  at  that.” 

” He  has  a healthy  brain,”  said  Ashton-Kirk, 
“ but  he  seldom  centers  it  properly.  And  if  his 
mind  is  kept  constantly  between  the  narrow  bar- 
riers of  police  procedure,  its  possessor  cannot  hope 
for  moments  of  inspiration.” 

The  Standard  dwelt  at  great  length  upon  the 
missing  bag  and  the  disappearance  of  Philip  War- 
wick. The  story  of  the  two  Japanese  convinced 
this  newspaper  that  with  Warwick  discovered  the 
case  would  end  there  and  then. 

“ There  can  scarcely  be  any  doubt  that  it  was  he 
whom  Messrs.  Okiu  and  Humadi  saw  leaping 
over  the  hedge  fence  in  the  moonlight,”  declared 
the  Standard.  “ The  leather  bag  which  he  car- 
ried was  more  than  likely  the  same  that  Dr.  Morse 
was  fumbling  with  when  the  servant  last  saw  him 
in  the  library.  To  be  sure,  the  old  woman  does 
not  definitely  state  that  it  was  Warwick’s  voice 
which  she  heard  later  as  she  sat  upon  the  step. 
But  circumstances  fail  to  point  to  any  other  pos- 
sible person.  The  house  was  absolutely  secure, 
except  for  the  street  door,  and  the  servant  sat  in 


SECRET  AGENT 


103 

front  of  that.  It  would  have  been  impossible  for 
any  one  to  have  passed  in  and  she  not  be  aware 
of  it.  The  young  man,  Drevenoff,  was  in  his 
room  from  first  to  last ; we  are  sure  of  this  be- 
cause Miss  Corbin  saw  him  go  up  the  stairs  before 
Dr.  Morse  sent  for  the  servant  about  the  key,  and 
is  absolutely  certain  that  he  did  not  come  down 
until  after  the  body  was  discovered.  Warwick, 
therefore,  is  the  only  person  unaccounted  for ; and 
the  fact  that  a person  answering  his  description, 
even  if  only  vaguely,  was  seen  stealing  away 
shortly  after  the  time  the  crime  must  have  been 
committed,  seems  almost  convincing  evidence  of 
his  guilt.  And  that  this  dimly  seen  person  also 
carried  a hand-bag,  the  only  article  learned  to  be 
missing,  and  that  Warwick’s  present  whereabouts 
is  unknown,  almost  clinches  the  supposition.” 

Fuller  nodded  his  head  at  this. 

“ They  make  a good  case  against  him,”  said  he. 
“I’m  also  of  the  opinion  that  Warwick,  when 
found,  will  tell  a mighty  illuminating  story — if  he 
has  the  mind.” 

Ashton-Kirk  threw  the  papers  from  him  with  a 
yawn. 

“ As  usual,”  said  he,  ” they  grasp  the  obvious 
and  apparently  sensational  features.  The  trouble 
with  some  of  the  journals  and  their  staffs,  however, 
is  not  lack  of  acuteness  ; it  is  the  desire  to  get  in 
on  a good  story  before  their  rivals — to  flame  out 


104  ASHTON-KIRK 

into  broad-faced  type  which  will  give  the  pros- 
pective purchaser  a blow  between  the  eyes  as  it 
lies  upon  the  stand,  or  allow  the  newsboys  a fine 
line  to  fill  the  streets  with.  But  the  real  things  are 
not  brought  forward  with  such  a dramatic  rush  ; 
they  filter  gradually  through  a mass  of  extraneous 
matter  and  their  quality  appears  only  to  a person 
seeking  an  absolutely  convincing  result.” 

He  pulled  off  his  coat  and  turned  up  his  sleeves  ; 
entering  the  laboratory,  he  opened  the  drawer  of  a 
stand  and  took  out  the  two  pieces  of  glass  broken 
from  the  front  of  Dr.  Morse’s  bookcase.  Holding 
these  up  to  the  light  he  said  : 

“ We  secured  two  very  satisfactory  blood  smears 
under  most  unpromising  conditions.  That  the 
clot  was  not  altogether  hard  was  fortunate  ; and 
that  I was  able  to  take  advantage  of  the  fact  with- 
out accident  was  doubly  so.” 

Lighting  a Bunsen  burner  he  passed  the  glass 
once  through  the  flame  ; then  he  took  a shallow 
vessel  and  poured  out  a quantity  of  liquid  ; in  this 
he  immersed  one  of  the  bits  of  glass  with  its  dry 
stain. 

“ Some  sort  of  a test?  ” inquired  Fuller. 

“ Yes.  This  bath  of  alcohol  will  fix  the  smear.” 

“ I see.” 

Fuller’s  curiosity  prompted  him  to  inquire  as  to 
what  would  follow  this  fixation  ; but  knowledge  of 
the  other’s  habits  of  mind  forbade  this. 


SECRET  AGENT 


105 

“About  all  that  is  known  of  the  parasite  for 
which  I am  going  to  seek,”  said  Ashton-Kirk  as 
he  stood  by  the  tray,  watch  in  hand,  “ is  due  in 
the  first  place  to  a French  army  surgeon  named 
Laveran.  After  him  came  the  Italian,  Marchia- 
fava,  the  German,  Koch,  and  a number  of  others. 
There  is  a monograph  upon  the  subject  by  Manna- 
berg  which  is  most  comprehensive.” 

“ What  sort  of  a little  beast  is  it  ? ” asked  Fuller. 

“ A lively,  wriggling  atom — a unicellular  organ- 
ism, directly  upon  the  border-land  between  the 
animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms.” 

“That  sounds  very  exact  and  scientific,”  said 
the  other.  “ But  it  means  little  to  me.” 

“ The  young  specimens  of  the  plasmodia,  as  this 
particular  germ  is  styled,  develop  in  the  red  blood 
cells ; and  as  they  grow  they  destroy  their  habita- 
tion. I could  tell  you  of  interesting  changes  of 
color  in  the  blood  corpuscles,  of  the  active,  joyous 
dancing  of  the  parasite,  and  of  its  multiplication 
by  sporulation.  But  not  now.  All  this,  however, 
is  repeated  again  and  again  ; and  each  sporulation 
of  the  parasite  is  usually  associated  with  marked 
symptoms  in  the  person  whose  blood  it  inhabits.” 

“You  speak  as  though  you  expected  to  find 
some  such  condition  in  this,”  and  Fuller  nodded 
toward  the  blood  smear. 

“ I expect  nothing.  I am  merely  about  to  prove 
or  disprove  a suggestion.” 


io6  ASHTON-KIRK 

At  the  end  of  twenty  minutes,  Ashton-Kirk 
took  the  bit  of  glass  from  the  fixing  bath,  threw 
the  alcohol  into  a waste  pipe  and  ran  some  water 
into  the  vessel. 

“ It  will  take  some  ten  minutes  for  the  slide  to 
dry,”  said  he.  “ And  in  the  meantime  we  shall 
prepare  the  next  step  in  the  process.” 

He  took  down  a bottle  filled  with  a dark  blue 
liquid.  This  he  held  up  to  the  light  that  poured 
in  from  the  window. 

“ Here,”  said  he,  “ is  the  bloodhound  upon 
whom  I depend  to  find  and  mark  the  parasite. 
It  bears  the  rather  formidable  name  in  its  present 
state  of  aqueous  methylene-blue,  and  is  in  a two 
per  cent,  solution.  Combined  with  it  is  a five  per 
cent,  solution  of  borax.  I had  a druggist  send  it 
in  this  morning.” 

This  mixture  he  poured  into  the  small  vessel  un- 
til the  bottom  was  barely  covered ; then  he  added 
water  until  there  was  a layer  of  perhaps  one 
centimeter  in  thickness,  and  the  blue  began  to  be- 
come transparent. 

The  alcohol  had  dried  off  the  bit  of  glass  by  this 
time ; and  Ashton-Kirk  took  the  fragment  up  with 
a pair  of  forceps  and  dipped  it  several  times  into 
the  methylene  stain ; after  this  he  passed  it 
through  clear  water  until  the  blue  paled  to  a green- 
ish tinge.  Then  he  took  up  a white  disc  of  filter 
paper ; placing  this  upon  a stand  he  laid  the  glass 


SECRET  AGENT 


107 

upon  it  and  carefully  dried  both  sides,  much  as  one 
would  blot  ink  from  a letter  sheet. 

“ This  process  is  what  is  called  staining,”  said 
Ashton-Kirk,  “ and  the  method  I have  used  is  one 
recommended  by  Koch  ; it  is  somewhat  similar  to 
the  older  one  of  Mannaberg,  but  more  rapid  in  re- 
sult.” 

Out  of  a tube  he  dropped  a single  gem-like 
globule  of  Canada  balsam  upon  the  blood ; then 
he  covered  it  with  a small  square  of  glass ; upon 
this  in  its  turn  fell  a drop  of  cedar  oil. 

The  whole  was  then  placed  in  position  under  a 
microscope  and  fastened.  Then  the  secret  agent 
brought  out  the  lens.  It  glittered  like  a tiny 
diamond  in  a huge  setting,  and  Fuller  gazed  at  it 
fascinated. 

” How  you  can  see  anything  through  a glass  as 
small  as  that  I can’t  understand,”  said  he.  “ It 
looks  like  the  point  of  an  awl.” 

” It  is  a one-twelfth  objective,”  replied  the  other, 
as  he  screwed  the  lens  firmly  down  upon  the  cover 
glass,  and  thus  embedded  it,  so  to  speak,  in  the 
film  of  cedar  oil. 

“ It  is  necessary,”  said  he,  “ that  the  specimen 
be  observed  through  the  oil  because  the  lens  must 
be  brought  down  directly  upon  the  glass ; without 
the  oil  the  glass  would  be  scratched  and  the  whole 
thing  ruined.” 

Then  he  set  himself  to  the  close  study  of  what 


io8 


ASHTON-KIRK 


the  tiny  lens  made  plain ; in  a few  moments  he 
lifted  his  head  with  an  exclamation  of  triumph. 

“ I have  it ! ” he  cried. 

What  have  you  found?”  asked  Fuller  eagerly. 

” Evidence,”  answered  Ashton-Kirk,  trium- 
phantly, ” that  will  enable  me  to  lay  my  hand 
upon  the  person  who  searched  the  library  and 
clothing  of  Dr.  Morse.” 

“ The  murderer  ? ” 

“ Perhaps  he  is  that  also — who  knows  ? ” 

” But,”  demanded  Fuller,  “ I don’t  quite  under- 
stand.” 

Ashton-Kirk  waved  his  hand  toward  the  micro- 
scope, and  Fuller  applied  his  eye  to  it. 

“ What  do  you  see  ? ” asked  the  secret  agent. 

“ A pale  green  circle,”  answered  the  other, 
“and  it  is  crowded  with  irregularly  shaped  spots.” 

“ Compare  the  circle  with  the  dial  of  a watch 
and  look  closely  at  the  point  where  the  six  should 
be.” 

“Yes,”  said  Fuller. 

“What  do  you  see — at  a very  little  distance 
from  the  edge  ? ” 

“ There  are  some  small  blue  spots  ; some  are 
dark,  the  others  lighter  and  more  intense.” 

“ That  last  is  my  proof,”  said  Ashton-Kirk. 
Then  as  Fuller  turned  upon  him  a still  inquiring 
look,  he  added : 

“ The  indications  have  been  that  some  member 


SECRET  AGENT 


109 

of  Dr.  Morse’s  household  had  a hand  in  his  death. 
The  house  was  secure  at  all  points  ; it  was  not 
possible  for  any  one  to  gain  an  entrance  after  the 
locking  up.  You  might  say  : Suppose  the  crim- 
inal had  entered  the  house  before  the  time  for 
locking  up  and  remained  concealed  until  he  saw 
his  opportunity  ? To  that  I would  answer  that  we 
would  have  detected  his  method  of  departure.  He 
should  have  left  something  unfastened  behind  him 
unless  he  had  a confederate  in  the  house.  That 
the  doors  and  windows,  in  every  instance,  were 
fast  proves  that  this  must  be  the  case.” 

Fuller  nodded  his  head. 

” That’s  so,”  said  he. 

“ Now  let  us  take  the  members  of  the  household 
one  at  a time.  Miss  Corbin ” 

Fuller  waved  his  hand. 

“ Oh,  she’s  out  of  it,”  said  he. 

“ Very  well,”  said  Ashton- Kirk,  his  white  teeth 
showing  in  a smile.  “ Then  let  us  take  up  Nanon. 
Here  we  have  a severely  religious  woman — one 
who  evidently  detested  her  employer,  but  who 
served  him  well  and  had  been  many  years  in  the 
family.” 

“ It  looks  as  though  we’d  have  to  pass  her, 
too,”  said  Fuller.  “ There  is  no  reason  why 
should  murder  Dr.  Morse  that  I can  see.” 

Again  the  other  smiled. 

“ In  this  you  agree  with  the  newspapers,  at  any 


I lO 


ASHTON-KIRK 


rate,”  said  he.  “ None  of  them  have  found  occa 
sion  to  associate  her  with  the  matter,  either.” 

“ I also  agree  with  the  papers  in  the  matter  of 
Warwick,”  said  Fuller.  “ I know  that  it’s  best  to 
start  without  preconceived  notions,  but  I can’t 
help  thinking  that,  if  he’s  not  exactly  the  man,  he 
knows  quite  a bit  about  it  all.” 

“ That  he  has  unaccountably  disappeared  is  a 
bad  point  against  him,”  admitted  Ashton-Kirk. 
“And  that  some  one  resembling  him  was  seen 
stealing  away  in  the  night,  carrying  a hand-bag, 
is  another  and  most  damaging  one.  However, 
as  you  say,  it  is  best  not  to  start  with  precon- 
ceived notions ; and  until  we  are  sure  that  the 
unknown  was  Warwick,  and  that  the  bag  he 
carried  was  the  missing  bag,  we’d  better  not  ac- 
cuse him.” 

There  was  a pause  ; the  secret  agent  looked  at 
the  stained  blood  smear  for  a moment  and  then 
continued  : 

“ There  is  still  another  person — the  fourth  and 
last.  This  person  possessed  the  marked  symp- 
toms of  a common  complaint — chills  followed  by 
fever.  To  this  person  I know  Dr.  Morse  gave 
quinine.” 

“ Well  ? ” asked  Fuller,  eagerly. 

“ Chills  and  fever  are  indications  of  malaria — 
quinine  is  the  invariable  remedy  for  that  com- 
plaint. And  the  light  blue  spots  which  you  see  in 


SECRET  AGENT 


1 1 1 


that  smear  of  blood,”  pointing  to  the  microscope, 
“ are  the  germs  of  that  same  disease.” 

For  a moment  Fuller  stood  as  though  transfixed. 

“ You  have  the  man  !”  he  cried  at  last.  “ You 
have  him  beyond  the  shadow  of  a doubt ! To 
think,”  in  great  admiration,  “ that  he  should  be 
found  out  in  such  an  unusual  way.  Why,  it  is 

one  of  the ” Here  he  paused,  the  enthusiasm 

died  from  his  face,  and  he  added  slowly  : “ But 
suppose  that  blood  clot  was  not  left  upon  the 
drawer  pull  at  the  time  you  think.  The  man  may 
have  been  in  the  library  during  the  afternoon 
upon  a perfectly  legitimate  errand.” 

But  Ashton-Kirk  shook  his  head. 

“ No,”  said  he.  “ It  happened  last  night  about 
the  time  of  the  murder.  If  it  had  been  earlier  the 
blood  would  have  been  dry  and  hard  to  the  core.” 

“I  see,”  said  Fuller.  “I  recall  that  you  were 
surprised  at  its  having  retained  any  softness,  even 
at  that.  But  there  is  something  else.  If  Miss 
Corbin  is  sure  that  Drevenoff  did  not  descend 
from  the  third  floor,  after  once  going  to  his  room, 
how  do  you  account  for  his  presence  in  the 
library  at  that  time  ? ” 

“ Miss  Corbin  was  in  position  to  see  Drevenoff 
as  he  ascended  the  back  stairs.  She  did  not  see 
him  descend,  and  so  concluded  that  he  could  not 
have  done  so.  As  a matter  of  fact  he  could  have 
gained  the  first  floor  without  any  trouble  by  pass- 


I 12 


ASHTON-KIRK 


ing  through  some  unoccupied  rooms  upon  the 
third  floor,  and  using  the  front  or  main  staircase.” 

"Then  that’s  it,”  declared  Fuller.  " He  came 
down  that  way  while  the  old  servant  was  in  the 
kitchen  seeing  to  the  coffee,  did  his  work  and  went 
back  to  his  room  by  the  same  route.  But,”  with 
a puzzled  look  upon  his  face,  “ what  in  the  world 
ever  drew  your  attention  to  Drevenoff  in  the  first 
place — that  is,  what  made  you  think  it  might  be 
his  blood  upon  the  handle  of  the  drawer  ? ” 

“ Do  you  recall  that  while  I was  examining  the 
desk  I stopped  to  listen  ? ” 

" Yes,  and  told  me  to  put  out  the  lights.” 

“ The  sound  that  I heard  came  from  the  room 
in  the  rear  of  the  library  ; when  I asked  you  to 
switch  off  the  lights  it  was  because  I wanted  to 
open  the  door  between  the  two  rooms  without  the 
knowledge  of  the  person  who  may  have  made 
the  sound.” 

" You  saw  no  one  ?” 

“ No.  But  I heard  something  like  quick  foot- 
steps going  down  the  hall,  and  then  the  soft  clos- 
ing of  the  street  door.” 

" By  George,  I heard  that,  too,”  said  Fuller,  re- 
membering. 

" Some  one  had  been  in  the  room  in  the  rear  of 
the  library,”  said  Ashton- Kirk.  “What  I heard 
in  the  first  place  was  perhaps  some  sort  of  sound 
made  as  he  was  stealing  away.  Drevenoff  was 


SECRET  AGENT 


113 

the  last  person  I had  seen  in  the  hall,  and  naturally 
he  was  suggested  to  me  as  the  cause  of  the 
sounds.” 

“ But  you  had  told  him  to  go  to  the  police 
station.” 

” Told  him — yes.  But  if  you  will  remember,  he 
had  not  yet  gone  when  we  entered  the  library. 
He  said  that  the  police  station  was  a matter  of  four 
blocks ; if  he  had  gone  at  once  he  would  have 
reached  there  long  before  I heard  the  sound  in  the 
back  room.  I at  once  went  to  the  ’phone,  which 
I had  noticed  in  the  back  hall,  and  called  up  the 
station  in  question.  No  ; he  had  not  yet  reached 
there.  Would  the  sergeant  kindly  make  a private 
note  of  when  he  did  ? The  sergeant  would.” 

‘‘  And  did  he  ?” 

“ He  whispered  it  to  me  as  I was  leaving  the 
house  later.  Drevenoff  reached  the  police  station 
less  than  ten  minutes  after  I called  them  up — just 
about  the  length  of  time  it  would  take  him  to  get 
there  if  it  were  he  who  had  been  in  the  rear 
room.” 

“ Ah  I ” 

“ The  man’s  actions  seemed  suspicious,  even  be- 
fore I received  this  apparent  verification ; also  I 
had  not  forgotten  the  intelligence  we  had  gathered 
concerning  his  father.  So  when  I came  upon  the 
blood  clot  I naturall;^  had  him  in  mind ; the 
symptoms  of  malaria  and  the  quinine  came  back  to 


ASHTON-KIRK 


114 

me,  and  I at  once  determined  upon  this  test  on  the 
chance  that  it  would  turn  out  as  it  has.” 

“ I think  you  have  sufficient  evidence  to  have 
him  taken  at  once.”  But  Ashton-Kirk  shook  his 
his  head. 

“ It  would  be  enough  to  hold  him  on,  at  any 
rate,”  protested  Fuller.  ” And  if  he’s  not  arrested 
now,  he  may  escape,  and  Dr.  Morse’s  murder  will 
go  unavenged.” 

The  secret  agent  took  up  his  big  German  pipe. 

“ The  murder  of  Dr.  Morse,”  said  he,  “ is  a most 
frightful  crime  against  society.  “ I am  perfectly 
willing  to  do  what  I can  to  trace  the  criminal,  but 
don’t  forget  that  the  important  matter  with  us  is 
another  thing  entirely.” 

“ You  mean  the  document,  or  whatever  it  was, 
which  was  stolen  by  Drevenoff’s  father  ? ” 

“ Which  may  have  been  stolen  by  Drevenoff’s 
father.  Exactly.  The  murder  of  Dr.  Morse  is 
only  incidental  to  this.”  Here  the  pipe  was  lighted 
and  heavy  clouds  of  smoke  began  to  rise.  “And 
even  though  young  Drevenoff  should  prove  to  be 
the  murderer,  I don’t  think  we  need  fear  his  at- 
tempting to  escape.” 

“No?” 

“ No.  For  some  little  time,  at  any  rate,  it  will 
be  perfectly  safe  to  give  him  a free  foot ; indeed,  it 
may  prove  to  be  of  great  advantage  to  us  to  do  so. 
He  has  not  yet  found  the  thing  of  which  he  is  in 


SECRET  AGENT 


IIS 

search.  That  is  plain.  If  he  had,  he  would  have 
been  off  before  now.  So,  for  a time  at  least,  it 
will  be  highly  interesting  to  watch  his  move- 
ments ; for  who  knows  but  what  it  is  through  him 
that  we  are  to  save  the  government  much  embar- 
rassment.” 

Fuller  regarded  his  employer,  the  huge  pipe 
and  the  smoke  clouds  which  rose  lazily  above 
both ; there  was  much  speculation  in  his  eye. 

“You  have  not  lost  sight  of  the  Japanese?” 
said  he. 

“ The  Japanese  I ” Ashton-Kirk  took  the  amber 
bit  from  his  mouth  and  his  white  teeth  gleamed  as 
he  laughed.  “ Oh,  no ! I have  not  forgotten 
them.  Mr.  Okiu  and  his  friend  Mr.  Humadi  in- 
terest me  exceedingly.” 


CHAPTER  VIII 


The  House  on  Fordham  Road 

It  was  a few  hours  later  that  the  big  car  drew 
up  at  the  house  on  Fordham  Road.  There  was  a 
crowd  of  loiterers  at  the  gate,  open-mouthed  and 
marveling  at  everything  they  saw  ; and  these  at 
once  gathered  about  the  car,  scenting  a possible 
sensation. 

But  Ashton- Kirk,  followed  by  Fuller,  pushed  his 
way  unceremoniously  to  the  gate  ; and  a few  words 
to  the  policeman  on  guard  there  admitted  them  to 
the  lawn.  One  of  the  first  persons  they  saw  at  the 
house  was  Osborne,  the  burly  central  office  man, 
who  stood  upon  the  porch  smiling  expansively 
and  talking  with  a couple  of  alert  young  fellows 
who  listened  with  interest. 

“ I see  that  friend  Osborne  has  the  ear  of  the 
reporters,”  said  Ashton-Kirk  amusedly  ; “ and  to 
all  appearances  he  is  not  losing  any  advantages 
which  the  situation  might  have.” 

“ He  looks  good-natured  enough  to  have  had 
some  luck,”  commented  Fuller. 

When  Osborne  caught  sight  of  them  he  broke 
into  a laugh. 

“ Hello,”  cried  he.  He  came  forward  and  shook 

ii6 


SECRET  AGENT 


117 

the  secret  agent  by  the  hand.  “ I rather  thought 
you’d  poke  your  learned  head  above  the  horizon 
this  morning.” 

“ It  pleases  me  to  be  borne  in  mind,”  smiled 
Ashton-Kirk,  good-naturedly.  “ But  what  are  the 
developments  ? ” 

“ Oh,  several  little  things  have  taken  occasion 
to  occur,”  replied  Osborne,  his  broad  face  beam- 
ing. “ One  of  them  is  that  we  have  nailed  the 
man  with  the  bag.  It  was  Philip  Warwick,  be- 
yond a doubt.” 

” Ah  1 ” 

“ He  was  seen  a block  from  here,  walking 
rapidly  along  the  road,  the  bag  still  in  his  hand, 
by  a market  gardener  driving  into  the  city.  The 
gardener  knows  Warwick  very  well  by  sight,  hav- 
ing been  in  the  habit  of  selling  greens  to  the  East- 
bury  people  along  this  way.  He  says  he  spoke  to 
the  young  man  in  a friendly  way  as  he  went  by  ; 
but  Warwick  paid  no  attention  ; the  gardener  says 
he  went  right  on  without  even  turning  his  head.” 

“ That  seems  to  be  definite  enough,”  commented 
the  secret  agent. 

“ But  that’s  not  all,”  stated  Osborne,  with  a 
widening  of  his  already  broad  smile.  “You  see, 
I got  to  thinking  over  what  the  market  man  said, 
and  an  idea  struck  me.  Warwick  was  going 
north,  while  the  Eastbury  station  is  south  from 
here.  I asked  a question  or  two  and  learned  that 


ASHTON-KIRK 


1 1 8 

Hastings  is  the  next  station  north — and  a much 
more  important  one  than  this,  by  the  way.  A 
time-table  told  me  that  a New  York  train  stopped 
at  Hastings  at  11:15.  It  was  about  10:35  that 
Warwick  was  seen  on  the  road.  Suppose  he  was 
making  for  this  train.  I called  up  the  Hastings 
station  and  found  that  that’s  just  w'hat  he  was 
doing.  The  night  operator  sold  a ticket  to  a tall 
young  man,  in  a light  suit,  who  carried  a big 
leather  bag,  and  boarded  the  ii : 15.” 

“ That,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  “ sounds  rather  neat 
and  complete.  I congratulate  you.” 

Osborne  coughed  self-consciously. 

“I  thought  it  was  rather  good  myself,”  he  said. 
“The  New  York  police  have  a detailed  description 
and  are  looking  out  for  him.  I’m  trying  to  dig  up 
a photograph  or  two  to  send  them,  because  they’re 
a little  shy  of  picking  people  up  on  a description 
alone.” 

Here  one  of  the  reporters  stepped  up  to  Ashton- 
Kirk. 

“ Pardon  me,”  said  he.  “ My  name  is  Evans, 
and  I represent  the  Star.” 

“ Oh,  yes.”  Ashton-Kirk  looked  at  him  with 
attention.  “ I have  noticed  your  work,  as  you  are 
permitted  to  sign  it.  Your  specialty  is  the  comic 
aspect  of  things.  Are  you  not  somewhat  out  of 
your  way  on  a murder  case  ?” 

“ It  is  unusual.  But  then  it  might  not  be  alto- 


SECRET  AGENT 


119 

gather  barren  in  results.  If  I can  pick  up  a few 
points  that  will  bear  distortion,  I might  produce  a 
novel  column.”  He  put  his  hands  in  his  trousers 
pockets  and  swayed  backward  and  forward.  ” I 
understand  that  you  were  here  last  night  before  the 
police  arrived.  Perhaps  you  could  tell  me ” 

But  here  Osborne  interrupted  him  with  a laugh. 

” If  you  listen  to  this  fellow,”  said  he  to  Ashton- 
Kirk,  “ he’ll  have  you  saying  things  you  never 
meant  to  say,  and  he’ll  be  attaching  meanings  to 
them  that  you  never  meant  to  give  them.” 

“ Now,  just  for  that,”  said  Evans,  unruffled, 
” I’m  going  to  give  you  a panning.” 

“ All  right,  my  boy,”  said  the  big  man.  “ Go 
ahead.  I’m  used  to  all  that.” 

Then  Osborne  drew  the  secret  agent  into  the 
hall. 

” I’m  glad  you’ve  come,”  said  he,  his  face  more 
serious  than  it  had  been  all  along.  “ There’s  a lit- 
tle thing  in  connection  with  this  case  that  has  me 
winging.  It’s  ail  right  to  put  on  before  them  paper 
fellows  out  there,”  with  a nod  toward  the  porch, 
“ because  it  don’t  do  to  let  the  public  think  the 
police  can  be  put  up  a tree.  It  makes  ’em  lose 
confidence,  you  see.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded. 

“ And  then,  if  the  department  people  show  a 
sign  of  not  being  as  well  up  on  a subject  as  they 
might  be,”  went  on  the  detective,  ” the  press  gets 


I 20 


ASHTON-KIRK 


onto  them  and  maybe  puts  in  pictures,  and  all  that. 
The  funny  fellows,  like  that  Evans,  are  the  worst 
of  all.  I make  believe  I don’t  mind  him,  but 
honest.  I’d  rather  go  against  a second  story  worker 
with  the  swag  on  and  a gun  in  his  fist,  than  that 
same  young  man.” 

There  was  a pause  ; and  Osborne  began  shoot- 
ing the  heavy  bolt  of  the  hall  door  backward  and 
forward. 

“ This  is  the  thing  that  I can’t  get,”  he  pro- 
ceeded, after  a little ; “ these  bolts  and  locks  and 
window  fasteners.  Every  one  of  them  was  doing 
business  last  night.  The  whole  place  was  tight  as 
it  could  be.  Are  you  following  me  ? ” 

” Go  on.” 

” That  this  young  secretary  fellow  did  for  Dr. 
Morse,  I’m  positive.  But  whom  did  he  have  in  with 
him  ? Which  one  of  the  other  three  in  the  house 
helped  him  in  the  job  ? One  of  them  did,  sure  ; for 
somebody  had  to  lock  the  door  or  window  behind 
him  when  he  left.” 

“ That  is  a compact  little  problem  in  itself,”  said 
Ashton- Kirk.  “ And  the  solving  of  it  might  be  of 
interest.  But  why  devote  so  much  attention  to 
young  Warwick  ? Don’t  forget  that  there  may  be 
other  aspects  to  the  case  ? ” 

Osborne  stared  at  him  in  astonishment. 

” Well,  say,”  spoke  he,  “ you  do  beat  all,  some- 
times ! Of  course,  there’s  other  sides  to  the  case ; 


SECRET  AGENT 


121 


but  Warwick  is  the  center,  and  my  attention  is 
going  to  stick  right  there  all  the  way.  Once  I 
nab  him  and  get  his  why  and  wherefore,  all  the 
rest  will  be  plain  sailing.” 

“ We  have  discussed  methods  before  now,” 
smiled  Ashton-Kirk,  “ and  I scarcely  think  there 
would  be  anything  gained  by  going  over  the 
ground  again.  However,  I will  say  this.  Noth- 
ing is  gained  by  riveting  one’s  attention  upon  one 
phase  of  a matter.  The  only  effect  it  has  is  to 
blind  one  to  everything  else ; keep  your  mind 
open  ; then  you  will  be  ready  to  accept  facts  no 
matter  from  what  point  they  come.” 

Osborne  smiled  broadly. 

“ You  sound  good,  anyway,”  said  he.  “ I al- 
ways did  like  to  listen  to  you.  It’s  like  as  if  you 
were  reading  out  of  a book.  But,  just  the  same. 
I'm  going  to  stick  to  Warwick.  He’s  the  fellow 
for  my  money  ; the  things  that  we’ve  got  on  him 
don’t  happen  just  by  accident,  as  you’ll  find  out 
when  the  case  comes  to  trial.” 

The  secret  agent  remained  in  conversation  with 
the  headquarters  man  for  some  little  time  longer. 
He  learned  that  a deputy  coroner  had  viewed  the 
body  and  that  the  inquest  was  to  be  held  later  in 
the  day. 

” And  say,”  said  Osborne,  as  they  once  more 
went  out  upon  the  porch,  which  was  now  clear  of 
the  newspaper  men,  ” don’t  think  because  I don’t 


122 


ASHTON-KIRK 


hold  to  your  way  of  looking  at  the  matter  that  I 
ain’t  glad  to  have  you  in  this.  The  fact  is,  I’m 
just  as  tickled  as  can  be,  because  you’ve  really  got 
some  moves  that  are  rather  smooth.  I know,  be- 
cause I’ve  watched  you  work  them.  But  don’t 
waste  the  good  gifts  by  chucking  them  all  around. 
Get  after  Warwick ; there’s  the  profitable  end  of 
this  hunt ; take  it  from  me  ! ” 

Osborne  then  went  to  speak  to  the  policeman 
at  the  gate ; and,  with  Fuller,  Ashton-Kirk  made 
his  way  around  upon  the  north  side  of  the  house. 
Holding  to  the  hedge  they  slowly  skirted  the 
lawn.  After  a little  the  secret  agent  paused. 

“ So,”  said  he,  and  Fuller  fancied  there  was  a 
note  of  surprise  in  the  voice,  ” our  friend  Okiu 
was  not  drawing  entirely  upon  his  imagination. 
Here,”  pointing  to  a ragged  place  in  the  top 
of  the  hedge,  evidently  only  recently  made,  “ is 
where  Warwick  leaped  over  the  fence.  His  foot 
caught  and  he  almost  fell.  See  there,”  pointing 
to  the  opposite  side ; “ the  soil  is  bare  and  soft  and 
his  feet  sank  deep  as  he  landed.” 

The  lawn  was  smooth  and  hard  at  the  front  and 
sides  and  the  grass  cut  very  short ; no  trace  of 
any  sort  was  to  be  seen  upon  it ; but  at  the  rear, 
and  especially  close  to  the  house,  there  were  a 
number  of  bald  places. 

“ Servants  are  never  so  careful  as  the  family,” 
said  the  secret  agent. 


SECRET  AGENT 


123 

Here  there  were  numerous  tracks,  one  upon  the 
other.  After  only  a glance,  Ashton-Kirk  passed 
on  toward  the  south  side  of  the  house.  Away 
from  the  rear  doors  the  confusion  ceased  ; but 
some  of  the  footmarks  continued. 

“ Osborne  has  been  looking  about,”  said  Ashton- 
Kirk,  pointing  to  a broad,  blunt-toed  impression ; 
“ here  is  his  track,  apparently  coming  from  the 
rear  door.  But  he  did  not  put  in  much  time,”  as 
the  track  halted  and  doubled  upon  itself.  “ His 
coming  out  at  all  was  merely  perfunctory,  I sup- 
pose ; for  the  fact  that  the  doors  and  windows 
were  fast  before  and  after  the  crime  was  done  is 
enough  for  him.” 

They  drew  nearer  to  the  window  which  opened 
from  the  room  in  the  rear  of  the  library.  Then 
Fuller  heard  an  exclamation,  and  saw  his  em- 
ployer bend  close  to  the  ground. 

” What  is  it  ? ” he  asked. 

“ A woman,”  said  Ashton-Kirk. 

Fuller  examined  the  ground ; sure  enough, 
there  were  the  tracks  of  a slim,  delicately-shod 
foot,  the  high  heels  having  sunk  deep  into  the 
soft  earth. 

“ There’s  a man’s  track,  too,”  cried  Fuller,  as 
he  noted  a series  of  heavier  prints. 

But  Ashton-Kirk  made  no  reply  to  this ; a few 
rapid  steps  took  him  to  the  window  above  men- 
tioned, and  he  searched  the  low  sill. 


124 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“It  may  mean  nothing,  after  all,”  said  Fuller, 
“ Curiosity  probably  induced  some  people  to  ven- 
ture into  the  grounds  this  morning  in  order ” 

“ A man  and  woman  entered  the  back  room  by 
this  window,”  said  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ I don’t  like  to  put  myself  in  an  attitude  of 
continued  protest,”  said  Fuller,  “ but  these  low 
windows  are  commonly  used  that  way.  You  see, 
it’s  only  a step  to  the  lawn.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded. 

“ As  you  say,”  he  agreed,  “ these  low  windows 
are  commonly  used  in  that  way.  But  only  when 
the  rooms  into  which  they  open  are  also  in  com- 
mon use.” 

“ I see  what  you  mean,”  said  Fuller.  “ This 
back  room  is  private.  Old  Nanon  said  the  door 
was  always  kept  locked.”  He  remained  gazing 
at  the  other  for  a moment,  apparently  pondering 
the  new  aspect  which  this  discovery  gave  the  sit- 
uation. “ Well,  what  do  you  think  it  means  ?” 

“ A woman  and  a man  entered  this  room  by  the 
window ; the  latter  had  been  left  unfastened  be- 
cause it  shows  not  the  slightest  indication  of  hav- 
ing been  forced.  And  when  they  departed,  the 
window  was  refastened — perhaps  not  at  once,  but 
as  soon  after  as  possible.” 

“You  think ” Fuller  paused,  his  eyes 

wide. 

“If  you  heard  a slight  noise  in  the  back  room 


SECRET  AGENT 


125 

while  you  were  in  the  library,  some  time  after  the 
murder,  what  would  you  think  ? ” 

“ Why,  we  discussed  that  this  morning,”  re- 
turned Fuller.  “ It  was  Drevenoff,  beyond  a 
doubt ! He  waited  in  the  hall  after  you  told  him 
to  go  to  the  police  station.  Then  he  stole  into 
the  rear  room  and  replaced  the  window  catch. 
And  this  being  so  it  was  he  who  admitted  the 
woman ” 

“ And  the  man  ? ” Ashton-Kirk  smiled  as  he 
asked  the  question. 

“ The  man  ? ” Fuller’s  face  grew  blank- 
” Why,  the  man  must  have  been  Warwick  1 And 
if  it  was,”  after  a moment,  “ why  did  he  require 
to  be  admitted  to  the  house  by  a side  window 
when  he  could  have  gone  in  by  the  front  door  ? ” 
If  Ashton-Kirk  intended  to  reply  to  this,  he  had 
no  time  to  do  so  ; for  at  that  moment  they  heard 
a step  behind  them  and  looking  around  they  saw 
the  well-knit  figure  and  expressionless  face  of 
Okiu. 


9 


CHAPTER  IX 
Okiu  Once  More 

The  Japanese  nodded  and  smiled  in  his  pecul- 
iarly meaningless  fashion,  the  black,  intent  eyes 
going  from  one  to  the  other. 

“I  was  getting  a breath  of  air,”  said  he,  “and 
reading  a favorite  book,  when  I happened  to  see 
you  here.  I trust  you  are  well  ? ” 

“ Quite  well,”  returned  Ashton-Kirk,  with  equal 
politeness. 

Okiu  laid  a heavy  book  upon  a bench,  patting 
it  gently  as  he  did  so,  as  though  it  were  a living 
thing. 

” The  old  books,”  smiled  he,  and  his  voice  was 
soft  and  purring,  “are  always  hard  to  handle. 
The  ancient  makers  did  not  know  their  trade  as 
well  as  these  of  modern  days.  But,”  and  the 
gracefully  flexible  hands  gestured  a.  pardon,  ” they 
had  something  to  put  into  them.  The  old  poets 
told  of  wonderful  things  in  most  wonderful 
ways.” 

“ Every  age  has  its  own  excellences,”  said  the 
secret  agent,  “ and  perhaps  mechanical  efficiency 
is  the  high  mark  of  our  own.” 

126 


SECRET  AGENT 


127 

“ I fear  that  it  is,”  said  Okiu,  in  a gentle,  re- 
gretful tone.  “ Even  in  my  own  country,  once  so 
peaceful  and  content  with  the  old  things,  this 
fierce  desire  to  perform  wonders  has  taken  root. 
Everywhere  you  see  the  sign  of  the  times — in  the 
people,  in  the  schools,  in  the  governments,  and,” 
here  Ashton-Kirk  saw  the  heavy  lids  quiver  over 
the  intent  eyes,  “ in  the  army  and  navy.” 

” Ah,  yes,”  said  the  secret  agent ; ” the  army  and 
navy.  We  have  heard  of  them.” 

” And  Russia,”  said  Okiu,  softly,  “ has  also 
heard  of  them.”  Fuller,  a flush  staining  his 
cheeks,  was  about  to  reply  to  this  ; but  a look  from 
his  employer  restrained  him.  And  after  a mo- 
ment’s pause,  Okiu  went  on  in  another  tone: 
“ Last  night  I offered  my  services  if  they  were 
needed  ; to-day  I repeat  the  offer,  sir.” 

“ You  are  very  good,”  said  Ashton-Kirk.  ” But 
the  police  have  the  matter  in  hand  ; and  they  re- 
sent interference,  as  I have  found.” 

” I have  read  the  morning  papers  with  great 
attention,”  said  the  Japanese.  “ The  matter  as  a 
whole  is  a most  singular  one.  But,  no  doubt,  the 
arrest  of  this  young  man,  Warwick,  will  shed  a 
light  upon  a great  deal  that  is  now  shadowy.” 

“ It  will  explain  some  things,  no  doubt.” 

“ Some  things  ! ” The  Japanese  bent  his  head 
forward  inquiringly.  “ Then  you  do  not  think  it 
will  explain  all  ? ” 


128 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ What  I personally  think,”  said  Ashton-Kirk, 

" is  of  no  great  consequence.” 

The  other  laughed  quietly. 

“ You  are  modest,”  remarked  he.  “ And  some-  - 
times,  if  the  real  truth  were  known,  the  knowledge 
of  the  man  who  says  little  is  of  great  value.”  He 
stood  back  a trifle,  the  yellow,  finely-kept  hands 
softly  clasped  ; the  round,  lineless  face  beaming 
like  that  of  a child.  “ And  for  all  I know,”  he 
added,  purringly,  “ you  may  know  a great  deal.” 

“ You  are  very  kind  to  think  so,”  said  Ashton- 
Kirk,  and  the  tone  was  so  open  and  pleasant  that 
Fuller  wondered  if  he  had  been  at  fault  when  he 
had  fancied  that  he  had  caught  a second  meaning 
in  the  words  of  the  Oriental. 

“ I am  only  a student,”  resumed  Okiu,  ” but  I 
may  be  of  assistance  here.  And  since  there  is 
nothing  that  I can  do  for  you,  perhaps  the  police 
would ” A gesture  finished  the  sentence. 

“Mr.  Osborne,  who  has  charge  of  the  matter,  is 
at  the  gate — or  was  a few  moments  ago,”  returned 
the  secret  agent. 

” Thank  you.  I will  speak  to  him.” 

With  a nod  the  Japanese  left  them  and  walked 
around  to  the  front  of  the  house  ; Ashton-Kirk, 
without  a word  of  comment  upon  him  or  his  say- 
ings, bent  down  and  once  more  studied  the  foot- 
prints. One  spot  in  particular  seemed  to  attract 
him  ; it  was  about  five  feet  from  the  window  and 


SECRET  AGENT 


129 

the  ground  seemed  a good  deal  scuffed  and 
trampled. 

“Just  here,”  said  the  secret  agent,  “the  two 
who  were  within  there  spent  some  little  time  in 
talk.  There  may  have  been  some  sort  of  an 
altercation  between  them  ; at  least  the  indications 
are  that  they  stamped  about  more  than  is  usual  in 
an  ordinary  talk.  After  a space  the  man  went 
around  by  the  rear  of  the  house,  for  here  you  see 
his  prints  lost  in  the  confusion.  But  the  woman 
went  the  other  way,  as  these  three  sharp  impres- 
sions indicate,”  pointing.  “ However,  the  grass 
becomes  thicker  here  and  the  sod  tougher,  and  the 
signs  fail.  W e can  j udge  that  she  continued  in  that 
direction  only  by  the  fact  that  we  fail  to  find  any 
returning  impressions.” 

They  continued  here  for  9.  little  longer,  then 
they  made  their  way  to  the  rear  door  and  entered 
the  kitchen. 

Old  Nanon  was  busily  scouring  some  pans. 
By  the  range  sat  Drevenoff. 

“ Good-morning,”  said  the  secret  agent,  as  he 
entered. 

“Good-morning,”  they  both  returned. 

Drevenoff  arose  and  stood  as  though  at  their 
service.  But  the  old  Breton  woman  was  as  severe 
and  erect  as  ever  ; her  thin-lipped  mouth  was  set 
firmly,  her  keen  gray  eyes  looked  out  from  under 
the  thick  gray  brows. 


ASHTON-KIRK 


130 

“ I am  going  to  go  over  the  house  once  more,” 
said  Ashton-Kirk,  “ but,”  to  the  old  woman,  “ I 
shall  not  ask  you  to  accompany  me  this  time.” 

“You  are  not  like  the  regular  police,  then,” 
said  she.  “ They  had  me  up  and  down  with  them 
for  hours.  And  the  other ” 

“ The  coroner’s  man,”  suggested  Drevenoff. 

“ Y es,  that  is  the  one.  He  was  even  worse 
than  the  others.  And  the  questions  ! Mother  of 
God  ! I never  heard  anything  like  them  before.” 

As  the  two  young  men  passed  through  the 
kitchen  Drevenoff  spoke  again. 

“ Is  there  anything  new,  gentlemen  ? ” he  asked. 

" Nothing  as  yet,”  replied  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ I have  read  the  papers,”  said  the  young  Pole, 
“ and  I am  sorry  for  Mr.  Warwick.  He  was  a 
good-natured  man.” 

“ Good-natured ! ” said  the  old  woman,  in  a 
tone  of  contempt.  “ Ah,  yes,  good-natured.” 

“ I knew,”  said  Drevenoff,  “ that  he  quarreled 
very  often  with  the  doctor  toward  the  last,  but  I 
never  thought  it  would  come  to  this.” 

Here  the  pan  slipped  from  the  old  woman’s 
fingers,  upset  the  scouring  powder  and  fell  to  the 
floor.  Muttering  angrily  she  stooped  to  pick  it 
up. 

“ Quarreled  ! ” said  Ashton-Kirk.  He  paused 
in  the  doorway  and  looked  at  the  Pole  with  in- 
terest. 


SECRET  AGENT 


13* 

“ It  was  about  Miss  Stella,  I think,”  said  Drev- 
enoff.  “ To  be  sure  I know  very  little  about  it, 
and ” 

‘‘You  know  nothing  about  it,  Drevenoff,”  said 
the  Breton  woman.  “ If  you  knew  Simon  Morse,” 
she  continued,  turning  upon  the  secret  agent, 
“ you  would  not  wonder  that  any  one  had  words 
with  him.” 

‘‘  Ah,  no,  perhaps  not,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  care- 
lessly. “ I understand  that  his  temper  was  not  of 
the  sweetest.”  He  was  about  turning  away  when 
he  asked  of  Drevenoff : ‘‘  How  are  you  get- 
ting ? ” 

‘‘  I’m  better  to-day  than  I have  been  for  a week,” 
was  the  answer.  “ But  it  won’t  be  for  long.  Be- 
fore I came  here  I worked  in  a construction  gang 
for  the  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  Railroad  and 
the  worst  of  the  line  was  through  low  country. 
Sickness  is  thick  down  that  way.” 

‘‘  I hope  I shall  not  disturb  Miss  Corbin,”  said 
Ashton-Kirk  to  Nanon.  She  gestured  in  the 
negative. 

“ She  is  sitting  with  Simon  in  the  room  oppo- 
site the  one  where  he  died,”  said  the  woman. 
‘‘  She  has  been  there  for  hours.  She  does  not 
pray  and  she  does  not  cry.  She  just  sits  ^and 
stares.” 

The  secret  agent  and  his  aide  reached  the  sec- 
ond floor  by  the  rear  stairs  ; as  they  paused  by  a 


ASHTON-KIRK 


132 

window  which  overlooked  the  house  occupied  by 
Okiu,  Fuller  said  : 

“ There  is  something  which  I have  been  turning 
over  in  my  mind  for  the  past  hour ; it  occurred  to 
me  as  soon  as  we  reached  here  this  morning.  Do 
you  recall  that  first  drawing  which  Warwick 
showed  you  ? It  was  the  one  which  looked  like 
this.” 

With  his  forefinger  the  young  man  drew  upon 
the  dust  of  the  window  glass  the  design  : 

“ From  the  very  first,”  said  Fuller,  “ that  thing 
struck  me  as  being  a sort  of  ground  plan,  so  to 
speak.  As  you  stood  talking  with  Osborne  a 
while  ago,  I got  looking  about.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  Okiu’s  house  and  this  one  were  very  much 
of  a size  and  that  the  connecting  plots  of  ground 
were  very  long  and  very  narrow.  Here,”  and 
Fuller  indicated  one  of  the  squares  at  the  end  of 
his  drawing,  “ might  be  Okiu’s  house,  and  here,” 
pointing  to  the  second  square,  “ might  be  that  of 
Dr.  Morse.  The  intervening  space  might  be  the 
adjoining  lawns.” 

Ashton-Kirk  looked  at  the  speaker,  a curious 
light  in  his  eyes. 

“ I wonder,”  said  he,  “ how  far  you  are  from  the 
truth  ? ” 


SECRET  AGENT  133 

Fuller  entered  the  bathroom  to  remove  the  dust 
from  his  finger-tips ; and  as  he  was  toweling 
briskly  away  he  caught  a glimpse,  through  the 
partly  open  door  of  a closet,  of  a pair  of  soiled 
shoes.  In  an  instant  he  had  them  out. 

“ By  George,”  he  breathed,  “ here’s  a find.” 

The  shoes  were  light  and  made  upon  a slim, 
well-shaped  last ; the  heels  were  high,  the  instep 
arched  ; except  for  a caking  of  yellowish  looking 
soil  about  the  edges  of  the  soles  they  were  the 
quintessence  of  feminine  elegance. 

” That  is  the  color  of  the  soil  outside  there,” 
said  Fuller,  “and  the  only  person  in  this  house  to 
whom  they  could  belong  is  Miss  Corbin.” 

Ashton-Kirk  took  the  shoes  in  his  hand  and  ex- 
amined them  carefully  at  the  bathroom  window, 
which  stood  open.  Fuller,  watching  him  expect- 
antly, saw  his  lips  forming  the  first  words  of  a re- 
ply. But  it  was  never  uttered.  Something  with- 
out attracted  him,  for  he  put  down  the  shoes  and 
protruded  his  head  from  the  window.  The  latter 
overlooked  the  north  side  of  the  house  ; and  the 
secret  agent  leaned  from  it  motionless  for  some 
moments. 

At  length,  however,  he  drew  in  his  head,  and 
Fuller  was  surprised  to  see  a perplexed  look  upon 
the  keen  face,  a baffled  eagerness  in  the  singular 
eyes. 

“ What  is  it  ? ” he  asked. 


ASHTON-KIRK 


134 

Ashton-Kirk  indicated  the  window  silently.  In 
turn  Fuller  looked  out,  and  what  he  saw  almost 
made  him  cry  out.  Okiu  stood  below ; from  a 
window  of  the  room  in  which  Nanon  had  said 
she  was  watching  the  dead  leaned  Stella  Corbin, 
and  the  two  were  engaged  in  a low-pitched 
earnest  conversation. 


CHAPTER  X 


Some  Startling  Intelligence 

The  conversation  between  Okiu  and  Miss 
Corbin  was  too  low  voiced  for  Fuller  to  catch 
any  of  it ; and  in  a few  moments  he  also  drew  in 
his  head. 

“Well,”  said  he,  “here’s  a state  of  things. 
First  we  find  tracks  which  might  be  hers,  then  we 
come  upon  the  shoes  which  she  might  have  worn 
when  she  made  them,  now  we  see  her  engaged  in 
secret  conversation  with  a man  whom  we  know  to 
be ” 

But  Ashton-Kirk  with  an  impatient  gesture 
stopped  him. 

“ Indications  are  not  proof,”  said  he,  as  he  went 
into  the  hall.  “ Don’t  forget  that  we  ourselves 
have  also  made  tracks  round  about  the  window 
below,  our  shoes  are  also  more  or  less  caked  with 
earth,  and  we  have  both  spoken  to  Okiu.” 

“ Of  course  that’s  so,”  said  Fuller,  “ but  never- 
theless the  facts  are  peculiar.”  He  followed  the 
other  along  the  hall  and  into  a room  at  the  front 
of  the  house.  “ But,  for  that  matter,  everything 
having  to  do  with  this  case  is  peculiar.  I never 
saw  a trail  so  snarled  and  crossed  and  recrossed. 

135 


ASHTON-KIRK 


136 

First  you  get  the  idea  of  a Japanese.  Then  War- 
wick is  plunged  into  the  thing  so  deep  that  I fail 
to  see  how  he’s  ever  going  to  extricate  himself. 
Thirdly,  we  have  enough  proof  as  to  Drevenoff’s 
complicity  to  put  him  behind  the  bars ; and  now 
the  probabilities  are  that  the  girl  is  also  con- 
cerned.” 

Ashton-Kirk  moved  slowly  about  the  room  ; it 
was  one  evidently  used  by  Dr.  Morse  as  a sort  of 
lounging  place,  for  there  were  sofas  and  big  chairs 
and  many  books.  At  one  side  near  the  front 
window  was  a narrow  antique  desk  of  polished 
wood ; it  was  open,  and  its  contents  had  been 
tumbled  about  by  the  police.  Ashton-Kirk  sat 
down  before  it,  annoyed  and  frowning. 

“ After  an  Osborne  and  a deputy  coroner  have 
been  over  the  ground,  one  could  drive  a herd  of 
mules  over  it  without  causing  any  appreciable  dif- 
ference in  its  aspect,”  said  he.  “ They  are  as 
heavy  handed  as  draymen.” 

And  while  he  proceeded  with  a careful  inspec- 
tion of  the  contents  of  the  desks.  Fuller  continued 
in  a complaining  tone  : 

“ I’d  like  to  know  what  we  are  to  make  of  the 
whole  business.  Is  it  a sort  of  general  conspiracy 
against  Dr.  Morse  ? Are  Warwick,  Miss  Corbin 
and  Drevenoff  in  league  with  the  Jap  for  some 
particular  purpose  ? — are  there  factions  in  the 
matter — each  working  for  its  own  advantage  ? — 


SECRET  AGENT 


137 

or  is  every  individual  laboring  for  him  or  herself, 
and  against  all  the  others  ? ” 

“ Mostly  correspondence  of  a private  nature,” 
said  Ashton-Kirk,  as  he  ran  through  the  papers. 
“ Contracts  with  publishers,  notes  as  to  lectures, 
and  negotiations  for  the  delivery  of  the  same.” 

There  were  some  bits  of  jewelry  of  no  particular 
value,  a few  small  books  of  accounts  and  various 
odds  and  ends. 

After  some  further  search  he  lifted  the  writing 
bed  of  the  desk,  which  was  also  the  lid,  and  was 
about  to  close  it ; something  seemed  to  attract  his 
attention  and  he  paused. 

“ Were  you  ever  handed  a bulky  book  and 
were  surprised  to  find  it  extremely  light  ? ” said  he 
to  Fuller.  “ That  oddity  of  thickness  combined 
with  lightness  applies  also  to  this  lid.” 

The  tip  of  the  long  inquiring  finger  ran  along 
the  edge  of  the  lid  ; the  quick,  observant  glance 
followed  close  behind.  Instantly  Fuller  caught 
the  suggestion. 

“ That’s  so,”  said  he,  eagerly ; “ it  may  be  hol- 
low.” 

“ On  each  side  of  the  lock,”  said  Ashton-Kirk, 
“ there  is  an  inlaid  strip.  Look  closely  and  you 
will  see  slight  marks  at  the  ends  of  each  where 
the  point  of  a knife  has  been  inserted  from  time 
to  time.” 

As  he  spoke  he  brought  his  own  knife  into  play. 


ASHTON-KIRK 


138 

Out  came  one  of  the  inlaid  pieces,  disclosing  a 
shallow  opening.  But  it  was  empty.  However, 
the  second  one  revealed  a number  of  sheets  of 
paper.  With  the  aid  of  the  knife  blade  he  man- 
aged to  work  these  out;  then  spreading  them 
upon  the  desk  the  two  men  examined  them  with 
attention. 

“ Hello,”  said  Fuller,  “ here  is  that  thing  which  1 
said  a while  ago  looked  like  a ground  plan.” 

“And  here  are  the  variously  colored  versions 
of  the  same,  just  as  Warwick  described  them,”  said 
the  secret  agent.  “ They  are  precisely  alike,  but 
some  are  in  brown,  others  in  black,  still  others  are 
in  red,  while  some  again  are  in  blue.  And  here 
are  the  ones  done  upon  neutral  paper,  in  white.” 

“ Is  it  possible,  do  you  think,”  questioned 
Fuller,  “ that  anything  was  meant  by  the  differ- 
ing colors  ? ” 

“ There  is  nothing  to  convince  me  that  such  is 
not  the  case,”  replied  Ashton-Kirk.  “ Chance 
seldom  rules  in  a matter  of  consequence.” 

“ Could  the  change  in  color  not  be  ascribed 
merely  to  the  fact  that  the  draughtsman  used  the 
one  that  came  first  to  his  hand  ? ” 

“ It  may  be.  But  see  here : The  design  which 
you  say  resembles  a ground  plan  differs  in  color, 
but  is  always  the  same  in  shape.  But  here  are  the 
other  drawings.  First  there  are  a number  of  the 
crowned  woman,  all  of  which  are  done  in  brown. 


SECRET  AGENT  139 

Then  here  are  several  duplicates  of  one  which  I 
saw  the  first  time  we  came  here.  It  is  a cross, 
and  in  each  case  the  down  stroke  is  red  and  the 
cross  stroke  blue.  Here  the  selection  of  colors 
never  varies,  and  that  there  was  a reason  for  cling- 
ing to  these  particular  colors  seems  pretty  evident. 
And  that  there  was  an  equally  good  reason  for 
changing  the  colors  in  the  first  design  seems  to  me 
reasonable.” 

“Yes,  it  would  appear  so,”  admitted  Fuller,  but 
doubtfully.  Then  another  sheet  caught  his  eye 
and  pointing  to  it,  he  inquired : “ But  what  is 
that?" 

Ashton-Kirk  was  reaching  for  the  drawing  when 
the  question  was  asked.  The  squares  of  paper 
were  exactly  the  size  of  the  others,  but  the  design 
upon  it  was  totally  unlike,  however,  and  was  done 
in  heavy  black.  It  was  a picture  of  a human 
heart,  and  transfixing  it  were  a number  of  pointed 
weapons  resembling  stilettos. 

“ What  a murderous-looking  thing ! ” observed 
Fuller.  “ Much  like  a Black  Hand  design  as  illus- 
trated in  the  evening  papers.” 

Ashton-Kirk  did  not  reply ; he  bent  down 
over  the  drawing  as  though  inspecting  it  closely ; 
then  there  was  a considerable  pause  in  which  he 
did  not  stir  and  Fuller,  watching,  noted  the  glaze 
of  introspection  in  the  singular  eyes.  However, 
this  was  not  for  long ; he  suddenly  straightened 


140 


ASHTON-KIRK 


up ; the  other  designs  slowly  passed  through  his 
hands  once  more ; then  he  arose,  a smile  upon  his 
face. 

“ More  than  likely  that  is  it,”  said  he. 

“ Is — what  ? ” asked  Fuller. 

But  the  other  allowed  the  interrogation  to  go 
unheeded. 

“ Away  somewhere  in  our  memories,”  said  he, 
” there  are  many  little  bits  of  information  all 
ticketed  and  ready  to  the  hand  of  the  person  who 
cares  to  reach  back  for  them.  Those  people  who 
go  through  life  with  their  eyes  open  possess  more 
of  these  items  of  recollection  than  those  who  re- 
fuse to  look  beyond  the  confines  of  their  own 
affairs.  But  the  impressionable  person — the  one 
who  makes  no  conscious  effort  to  retain  the  things 
that  buzz  like  bees  about  him — and  yet  catches 
them  all  much  like  the  record  of  a phonograph — 
has  the  greater  resources  to  draw  upon.” 

“ I would  not  call  you  one  who  made  no  effort,” 
said  Fuller.  “ And  things  must  need  be  more  or 
less  proven  to  make  an  impression  upon  you.” 

“ I make  my  effort  in  the  particular  line  along 
which  mv  interest  runs  at  the  time,”  said  Ashton- 
Kirk.  “ And  it  is  true  that  the  things  which  I 
then  accept  must  be  more  or  less  solidly  sup- 
ported by  facts.  But  a newspaper  casually  picked 
up,  a novel  read  as  a time-killer,  a spoken  word, 
the  gesture  of  a stranger  in  the  street,  or  the 


SECRET  AGENT 


141 

unstudied  action  of  a child,  may  convey  a some- 
thing that  will  stay  with  us  for  life.” 

“And  just  now,”  said  Fuller,  curiously,  “you 
came  upon  one  of  these  little  incidents,  a sort  of 
unattached  thing,  which  throws  some  light  upon 
these,”  and  he  pointed  to  the  drawings  upon  the 
desk. 

Ash  ton- Kirk  nodded ; placing  the  sheets  of 
paper  in  his  coat  pocket  he  closed  the  desk 

“The  police  will  have  little  use  for  these,”  he 
said.  “ Nevertheless,  I suppose  I had  better  call 
Osborne’s  attention  to  them.” 

He  spent  another  half  hour  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  house,  but  nothing  of  interest  met  his  eye. 
Then  they  descended  to  the  first  floor ; and  as 
they  did  so,  met  Miss  Corbin  upon  the  stairs. 
As  she  saw  them,  a startled  look  came  into  her 
• face. 

“ Good-morning,”  said  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ I did  not  know  that  you  were  here,”  she  said. 

“There  were  a few  trifles  which  I knew  only 
daylight  would  show  us,”  he  returned.  “We 
came  more  than  an  hour  ago.” 

“ I did  not  see  you  go  up-stairs,”  she  said ; and 
to  Fuller  there  was  a sort  of  confused  resentment 
in  her  voice. 

“ We  took  the  liberty  of  using  the  back  stair- 
way, that  being  the  nearest,”  explained  the  secret 
agent. 


142 


ASHTON-KIRK 


There  was  a pause.  The  slim,  girlish  figure 
blocked  their  way  ; the  great  dark  eyes  were  fixed 
upon  them  observantly.  “ You  were  in  my  uncle’s 
room  ? ” she  asked. 

“Yes.  We  fancied  that  there  might  be  some- 
thing there  of  interest.*"’ 

“ Ah,  no  doubt,’’  she  replied ; and  again  Fuller’s 
attention  was  called  to  a peculiar  something  in 
her  voice.  However,  she  said  nothing  more ; 
and  then  as  they  stood  politely  aside,  she  passed 
on  up  the  stairs. 

The  telephone  bell  was  ringing  furiously  as 
they  reached  the  hall ; Osborne  hastened  from 
somewhere  in  the  rear  to  answer  it. 

There  followed  the  usual  one-sided  and  enig- 
matic telephone  conversation ; but  this  one  was 
interspersed  with  high-pitched  questions,  amazed 
ejaculation  and  wondering  adjectives  upon  the 
part  of  the  headquarters  man.  At  last  he  hung 
up  and  turned  to  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ Well,  what  do  you  think  of  that  ? ” he  cried. 

“ What  is  it  ? ” 

“That  was  the  chief.  He’s  just  had  a wire 
from  New  York.  They  got  on  Warwick’s  track 
an  hour  after  hearing  from  us,  and  traced  him  to 
an  up-town  hotel.” 

“ Ah  ! And  have  they  taken  him  ? ” 

“Two  plain  clothes  men  went  in  and  a couple 
more  stood  outside.  The  clerk  said  yes,  he  was 


SECRET  AGENT 


143 

in  his  room.  Was  registered  under  the  name  of 
Gordon.  They  went  up  and  knocked.  No  an- 
swer. Knocked  again.  Still  no  answer.  They 

broke  down  the  door,  and  found ” 

“ What  ? ” asked  Fuller. 

“ That  Warwick  was  gone.  On  the  floor  lay  a 
traveling  bag  like  the  one  he  took  from  here, 
slashed  open  and  empty,  and  beside  it  lay  an 
iinknown  Japanese — stabbed  through  the  heart.” 


CHAPTER  XI 


A Ray  of  Light 

The  late  editions  of  the  evening  papers  ran  riot 
with  this  latest  feature  of  the  Morse  case.  The 
New  York  police,  by  happy  chance,  had  pounced 
upon  the  warm  trail  as  soon  as  the  young  English- 
man stepped  from  the  train.  What  followed  was 
so  totally  unexpected  by  the  authorities  that  it  set 
them  into  a violent  state  of  agitation.  This  they 
at  once  communicated  to  the  ever  receptive  “ yel- 
lows,” and  then  the  public  received  more  than  its 
due  share  of  the  developments  as  served  upon 
scores  of  front  pages. 

“Who  the  Japanese  is  is  a mystery  to  the 
police  and  the  hotel  people,”  declared  the  Star  in 
triple-leaded  feature  type.  “ How  he  got  into  the 
hotel  and  up  to  Warwick’s  room  is,  as  yet,  a 
thing  which,  so  they  claim,  has  baffled  the  best 
efforts  of  all  concerned.  But  what  he  meant  to  do 
when  he  reached  the  room  is  in  the  opinion  of  this 
journal  a matter  that  will  prove  infinitely  more 
taxing  upon  the  wit  of  the  detective  department.” 

Fuller  read  column  after  column  of  such  com- 
ment. The  various  people  who  had  figured  in  the 

144 


SECRET  AGENT  145 

matter  were  separately  interviewed  and  their  ideas 
were  given  much  space.  The  railway  porter,  who 
had  sprung  into  fame  by  recognizing  Warwick 
and  who  had  had  the  awesome  experience  of 
carrying  the  much  spoken  of  leather  bag  from  the 
day  coach  to  the  cab  outside,  related  his  feelings 
when  he  later  became  aware  of  his  patron’s 
identity,  and  told  of  his  hunt  for  the  policemen 
who  had  given  him  the  young  man’s  description. 
The  cabman  also  talked  thrillingly,  as  did  the 
clerk  and  the  bell-boy  who  led  the  detectives  to 
the  door  of  Warwick’s  room.  As  for  the  police, 
they  appeared  to  have  maintained  an  attitude  of 
much  wisdom.  What  utterances  they  conde- 
scended to  make  were  of  a peculiarly  Delphic  char- 
acter ; and,  as  is  usual,  they  hinted  at  astonishing 
revelations  which  limited  periods  of  time  would 
bring  forth. 

“ They  are  now  deep  in  the  case,”  stated  the 
Standard,  hopefully,  “ and  a little  time  may  work 
wonders.  A half  dozen  experienced  man  hunters 
are  running  out  the  various  fine  threads  which 
stretch  away  in  as  many  directions.  Each  of  them 
has  a hopeful  outlook  and  is  confidant  of  ultimate 
success.  And  this  intelligent  force  has  been 
recruited  by  Osborne,  a local  man  of  acknowl- 
edged parts,  who  is  handling  the  parent  stem,  so 
to  speak,  of  this  exotic  crime  growth.  Mr. 
Osborne  will  familiarize  himself  with  this  new 


ASHTON-KIRK 


146 

phase  of  the  case  and  will  then  be  ready  to  take, 
up  his  task  here  with  renewed  vigor.” 

“ For  experienced  people,”  commented  Fuller, 
as  he  cast  the  sheets  from  him,  “ I think  the  pub- 
lishers of  newspapers  are  the  most  gullible  in  the 
world.  Day  after  day  they  apparently  stand  for 
the  same  old  explanation — day  after  day  they 
seem  to  be  taken  in  by  the  same  old  conventional 
lies.” 

A short  man  with  a bulging  chest  and  surpris- 
ingly broad  shoulders  sat  opposite  the  speaker. 
He  stroked  his  prominent  jaw  as  he  remarked  : 

“ They  are  as  wise  as  any  one  else,  and  they 
feed  that  sort  of  pabulum  to  the  public  because 
they  think  it  wants  it.  They  know  how  the 
regular  police  work ; but  they  say  nothing  because 
they  don’t  think  their  readers  are  interested  in  hear- 
ing about  it.  The  fellow  who  takes  an  evening 
paper  home  to  read  after  business  would  much 
rather  believe  that  Osborne  is  a remarkable  detect- 
ive than  just  a fair  mechanic  who  was  dragged 
away,  by  ward  politics,  from  his  natural  job  of  gas 
fitting.” 

“ I suppose  you  are  right,  Burgess,”  replied 
Fuller.  “ There  is  more  interest  in  the  first,  I ad- 
mit. But  between  you  and  me,  I don’t  think  Os- 
borne ever  cleared  up  a case  yet  that  he  didn’t  get 
the  rights  of  just  by  sheer  luck.” 

“ And  he  knows  it,”  said  Burgess.  ” And  what’s 


SECRET  AGENT 


H7 

more,  he  is  firmly  convinced  that  that  is  the  only 
way  a case  can  be  cleared.  He  trusts  to  luck  in 
every  instance.” 

“ I expected  that  you  would  be  sent  to  New  York 
to  look  up  this  hotel  matter,”  said  Fuller,  as  he  sat 
back  in  Ashton-Kirk’s  lounging  chair  and 
stretched  his  legs  out  in  luxurious  comfort. 

“Oh,  I’ve  been  looking  up  that  fellow  Kar- 
kowsky,”  said  Burgess.  “ The  boss  sent  O’Neill 
over  on  the  Warwick  end.  O’Neill  is  pretty 
smooth,  you  know,  and  is  just  the  fellow  to  get 
along  with  the  regular  police,  and  work  all  they 
know  out  of  them — if  there  is  anything.” 

“ How  does  Karkowsky  look  ? ” questioned  the 
other. 

“ I haven’t  got  sight  of  him  yet.  Seems  to  be  a 
queer  sort  of  bird  and  flies  only  at  night.  And 
now  that  the  police  have  got  so  interested  in  look- 
ing for  him,  he’s  apt  to  get  more  difficult  to  out“ 
guess  than  before.” 

“ Have  they  muddled  up  the  trail  ? ” 

“ In  the  usual  way,”  with  a disgusted  wave  of 
the  hand.  “ Brass  band  methods,  you  know. 
They  follow  him  with  drums  beating  and  then 
wonder  why  they  don’t  catch  him.” 

At  this  moment  there  was  a step  at  the  door, 
and  Ashton-Kirk  entered.  He  wore  evening 
clothes  with  an  overcoat  over  them  ; a silk  hat  was 
on  his  head,  and  he  carried  his  gloves  and  stick  as 


ASHTON-KIRK 


148 

though  he  had  just  come  in.  There  was  only  one 
light  burning  in  the  room,  and  it  threw  his 
gigantic  shadow  upon  the  wall. 

“ How  are  you  ? ” he  said  to  Burgess.  “ Any- 
thing to  report  ? ” 

“ There  it  is  in  the  envelope,  as  far  as  I have 
gone,”  replied  Burgess.  “ But  there  is  nothing 
very  vital.  Karkowsky  seems  as  elusive  as  any 
one  that  I know  of.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded.  He  took  up  the  envel- 
ope and  opened  it.  There  were  several  closely 
typed  sheets  and  his  eye  ran  over  them  quickly. 
The  report  was  as  follows  : 

“ Notes  on  Karkowsky  ” 

“The  keeper  of  the  harness  shop  at 
Fourth  Street  and  Corinth  Avenue  is  of 
the  name  of  Andrew  Brekling.  He  is  a 
Pole  and  has  been  in  this  country  for 
five  years.  Karkowsky  was  unknown  to 
his  landlord  in  every  way,  save  that  of  a 
lodger.  He  rented  a third-story  room 
and  lived  in  it  almost  a month.  He  had 
few  callers.  The  harness-maker  does  not 
remember  any  one  of  the  name  of  Drev- 
enoff,  and  is  quite  sure  that  no  young 
man  of  the  description  which  you  gave 
me  of  Drevenoff  ever  came  there. 

“ I made  a great  many  inquiries  in 
the  neighborhood,  but  learned  little.  A 
grocer  told  me  that  Karkowsky  pur- 
chased many  articles  from  him  and  ap- 


SECRET  AGENT 


149 


peared  to  have  plenty  of  means  ; he  also 
said  that  while  the  Pole  was  voluble  upon 
most  things  he  never  spoke  of  himself  or 
his  affairs. 

“ Then  I found  from  the  harness-maker 
that  Karkowsky  had  spent  a good  bit  of 
his  time  at  a branch  of  the  city  library 
which  was  no  great  distance  away  from 
his  lodgings.  Thinking  this  might,  on 
an  off  chance,  turn  some  light  on  the 
matter,  I went  there.  The  young  woman 
in  charge  recalled  Karkow'sky  perfectly, 
although  she  did  not  know  his  name. 

He  had  always  been  good-natured  and 
smiling  and  always  read  the  one  kind  of 
books — scientific  philosophy  of  the  most 
modern  type.  Once  he  told  her  that  all 
the  other  books  in  the  place  should  be 
burnt.” 

Having  reached  the  end  of  the  report,  Ashton- 
Kirk  took  off  his  coat  and  hat  and  laid  the  report 
upon  the  table. 

“Have  you  made  any  further  attempts?”  he 
asked  of  Burgess. 

“I’ve  been  hunting  for  some  trace  of  him  all 
day,”  replied  the  man.  “ But  it’s  tough  work. 
He  went  off  without  any  one  seeing  him,  and  I 
haven’t  a thing  to  dig  a claw  into.” 

“ Was  there  nothing  left  in  his  room — nothing 
that  would  indicate  what  his  intentions  were  ? ” 

“ Not  a shred  of  anything.  You  see,  he  had 


ASHTON-KIRK 


150 

rented  the  place  ready  furnished.  And  the  police 
were  there  ahead  of  me.” 

“ Take  the  matter  up  again  to-morrow  ; if  noth- 
ing develops  let  me  know,  and  we  will  make  a 
fresh  beginning  over  the  same  route.  Mr.  Kar- 
kowsky  has  been,  so  it  appears,  an  important 
figure  in  this  matter,  and  it  would  be  just  as  well 
to  know  where  we  can  put  our  hands  upon  him 
when  we  want  him.” 

After  a brief  conversation  relating  to  the  details 
of  the  work  that  Burgess  had  done,  that  gentle- 
man departed.  Ashton-Kirk  rolled  a cigarette 
and  sat  down  in  the  big  chair  which  Fuller  had 
vacated.  Then  he  drew  toward  him  a number  of 
books  which  lay  upon  the  table. 

“ These,”  said  he,  “ were  kindly  loaned  me  by 
Father  O’Leary  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Re- 
deemer. And  the  information  they  contain  is 
quaint  and  most  valuable.” 

“They  are  rather  out  of  your  line,  are  they 
not  ? ” questioned  the  other,  as  he  took  up  one  of 
the  volumes  and  looked  at  the  title.  It  was  a 
“ Life  of  St.  Simon  Stock.” 

“ Nothing  is  out  of  my  line,”  said  Ashton-Kirk. 
“ I have,  as  you  know,  seized  some  of  my  most 
helpful  assistance  from  what  might  be  regarded 
as  a most  unpromising  source.”  He  took  the 
little  book  from  his  aide’s  hand  and  ran  over  its 
pages.  “ In  what  way,”  asked  he,  “ can  a biog- 


SECRET  AGENT 


151 

raphy  of  St.  Simon  Stock  help  me  to  save  the 
United  States  from  an  international  embarrass- 
ment and  incidentally  give  me  more  information 
upon  the  subject  of  the  murder  of  Dr.  Morse?” 

Fuller  shook  his  head. 

“ I don’t  know,”  said  he.  “ But  if  you  say  it 
will  do  so,  I’m  perfectly  willing  to  believe  it.” 

The  other  smiled. 

“ You  have  been  with  me  for  several  years, 
Fuller,”  he  said,  ‘‘and  your  clerical  work  is  very 
complete.  Your  investigations,  when  you  are 
given  a definite  point  to  work  upon,  are  also 
satisfying.  But  you  stop  there.  I should  think 
that  by  this  time  you  would  have  begun  to  weigh 
the  different  problems  which  come  up  and  reason 
them  out  for  yourself.” 

Again  Fuller  shook  his,  head. 

‘‘  I’ve  got  a pretty  good  kind  of  a brain,”  said 
he  ; ‘‘  people  who  know  have  considered  me  a first- 
class  accountant,  and  I’m  a perfect  storehouse  for 
certain  kinds  of  facts.  But  it’s  not  your  kind  of 
brain  ; for  ages  of  effort  would  pass  and  not  once 
would  I dream  of  trying  to  gain  information  as  to 
the  death  of  a resident  of  Eastbury  from  a parcel 
of  books  like  these.” 

“ I suppose  you  are  right,  my  boy,”  said  Ashton- 
Kirk ; “ different  types  of  mind  have  different 
tendencies.”  He  continued  fluttering  the  leaves 
of  the  book,  the  pale  smoke  of  the  cigarette  drift- 


ASHTON-KIRK 


152 

ing  formlessly  about  him.  Then  he  went  on : 
“Perhaps  it  does  seem  rather  an  extraordinary 
thing  to  expect  a monk  of  the  thirteenth  century 
to  aid  in  solving  the  present  problem.  But  let  us 
go  further  into  the  matter  and  we  may  possibly 
get  some  light.” 

He  laid  the  burnt  end  in  the  shell  upon  the 
table  and  rolled  another  cigarette ; and  while  he 
did  so,  he  talked. 

“ Simon  Stock  was  an  Englishman,  and  was  a 
native  of  Kent.  At  the  age  of  twelve  he  is  said 
to  have  left  his  home  and  lived  in  a hollow  tree. 
The  Oriental  idea  had  penetrated  the  West,  and 
Europe  was  filled  with  anchorites.  Some  monks 
of  the  Order  of  Mount  Carmel  entered  England 
from  the  Holy  Lands  and  Simon,  now  a man  of 
mature  years,  joined  them.  There  is  a legend 
that  he  was  directed  to  do  so  by  a supernatural 
agency,  but  Catholic  scholars  seem  to  pay  little 
attention  to  this.  At  any  rate  time  passed  and  the 
Kentish  man,  famous  for  great  piety  and  virtue, 
was  finally  made  general  of  the  White  Friars,  a 
name  by  which  the  Carmelite  Order  was  known. 

“ Again  legend  plays  its  part.  As  he  knelt  one 
day  in  prayer  in  his  monastery  at  Cambridge,  the 
Virgin  Mary  is  said  to  have  manifested  herself  to 
him  and  presented  him  with  the  scapular.” 

“ I have  a sort  of  hazy  notion  as  to  what  that  is,” 
said  Fuller,  “ but  not  enough  to  work  on.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


153 

“ It  was  originally  a sort  of  habit  which  the 
monks  wore  over  their  other  garments,”  replied 
Ashton-Kirk ; “ but  from  St.  Simon  Stock’s  day 
it  altered  in  appearance.  It  became  two  squares 
of  cloth  fastened  by  two  pieces  of  tape,  and  was 
worn  around  the  neck  by  those  persons  who  de- 
sired to  benefit  by  its  privileges.  When  stretched 
out  on  a flat  surface  its  appearance,”  went  on  the 
speaker,  as  he  took  up  a pencil  and  drew  a few 
rapid  lines  upon  the  margin  of  a newspaper,  “ was 
something  like  this  : ” 


Fuller’s  eyes  opened  in  wonder. 

“ Why,”  he  cried,  “ that  is  exactly  like  the  draw- 
ing sent  so  frequently  to  Dr.  Morse ! ” 
Ashton-Kirk  laughed  quietly. 

” Already,”  said  he,  “ you  are  beginning  to  see 
the  use  of  Father  O’Leary’s  books.  And,  perhaps, 
as  we  go  on,  your  vision  will  become  wider  still.” 
There  was  a moment’s  pause,  then  the  speaker 
continued  : “ There,  is  another  scapular  beside  that 
of  St.  Simon ; it  is  the  Trinitarian,  which  was 
brought  forward  by  an  order  of  that  name,  founded 
by  John  de  Matha,  and  Felix  de  Valois  for  the  re- 
demption of  captives.  These  religious  wore  a 
white  habit  with  a cross  upon  the  breast.  A 


ASHTON-KIRK 


154 

Theatine  nun  named  Ursula  Benincasa  originated 
still  another  scapular,  that  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception, which  is  of  light  blue.  An  Italian  order, 
called  the  Servites,  introduced  another,  this  time 
of  black ; and  the  Sisters  of  Charity  of  Paris 
brought  forward  still  another — of  scarlet.” 

Ashton-Kirk’s  pencil  tapped  upon  the  drawing 
which  he  had  made  upon  the  margin  of  the  news- 
paper. 

“ Dr.  Morse  had  this  design  sent  to  him  in  all 
the  colors  named.  First  came  the  brown,  then 
there  was  blue,  white,  black  and  red.  When  the 
gamut,  so  to  speak,  of  colors  had  been  run,  he  re- 
ceived the  picture  of  the  crowned  woman,  done  in 
brown.  This  is  now  very  easy  to  explain.  The 
sender  for  some  reason  had  called  attention  to  the 
various  sorts  of  scapulars  and  was  beginning  all 
over  again.  The  Carmelite  scapular  is  of  brown 
and  bears  a picture  of  the  Virgin  Mary — hence  the 
woman  wearing  the  crown.  Then  came  the  cross 
which  I was  shown  upon  my  first  visit  to  the  Morse 
house ; its  down  stroke  of  blue  and  cross  stroke 
of  red  is  the  same  as  the  device  upon  the  white 
scapular  of  the  Trinitarians.  But,  however,  all  this 
would  never  have  been  dreamed  of  by  me  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  third  picture  as  found  by  us  in  the 
secret  drawer  of  Dr.  Morse’s  desk.” 

With  the  pencil,  Ashton-Kirk  sketched  a human 
heart,  transfixed  by  numerous  daggers. 


SECRET  AGENT 


155 

“ When  this  caught  my  eye,”  he  continued,  “ I 
could  feel  the  stirring  of  a memory — one  of  those 
which  I spoke  of  as  being  ticketed  and  ready  to 
hand,”  with  a smile.  “ Was  it  the  heart  which 
awoke  this  dim  feeling  of  familiarity?  No.  Was 
it  the  daggers  ? Agaiii,  no.  Then  it  must  be  the 
general  idea — a heart  pierced  by  daggers.  At  this 
I felt  the  memory  struggle  desperately  in  the  brain 
ceil ; then  suddenly  it  broke  out.  I had  seen  the 
design  upon  a bit  of  laced  card  in  the  show  win- 
dow of  a religious  goods  store,  when  a boy.  I 
recalled  the  title,  printed  at  the  bottom  of  the  card, 
perfectly.  It  was  ‘ The  Seven  Dolors.’  The  mem- 
ory of  this  was  specially  keen,  for  I had  not  known 
what  was  meant  by  dolors,  and  had  gone  to  a dic- 
tionary and  found  that  they  represented  sorrows 
or  pangs.  This  all  came  back  like  a flash,  and 
instantly  I counted  the  daggers  transfixing  the 
heart  in  the  drawing.  They  were  exactly  seven. 

“ I was  now  convinced  that  the  whole  matter  of 
the  drawings  had  a religious  aspect,  and  looked 
at  them  with  a different  eye.  The  cross  was  self- 
evident  ; the  crowned  woman  could  be  none  other 
than  the  Virgin  Mary.  However,  it  was  not  until 
I had  consulted  Father  O’Leary  that  I got  to  the 
bottom  of  the  matter.  With  the  other  things 
made  plain  to  him,  he  instantly  recognized  this  as 
the  outline  of  the  scapular,”  tapping  the  marginal 
sketch  upon  the  newspaper. 


1 56  ASHTON-KIRK 

For  a few  moments  Fuller  was  silent.  Then  he 
said : 

“ That  was  a clever  stroke,  and  it  might  go  a 
long  distance  toward  making  some  other  things 
plain.  But,”  and  he  shook  his  head  in  a rather 
hopeless  way,  ” I confess  that  I don’t  see  the 
reason  for  all  these  things  being  sent  to  Dr.  Morse. 
In  fact,  there  doesn't  seem  to  be  any  sort  of  reason 
in  it.” 

Ashton-Kirk  arose. 

” There  is  seldom  any  reason  in  things  which 
we  do  not  understand,”  said  he.  “ But  it  often 
happens  that  when  we  do  come  to  understand 
them  then  we  find  the  reasons  behind  them  solid 
and  far-reaching  enough.” 


CHAPTER  XII 


Karkowsky  Gets  Some  Attention 

The  next  morning,  contrary  to  Fuller’s  expec- 
tations, Ashton-Kirk  did  not  start  out  on  a fresh 
trail.  The  discovery,  as  developed  the  night  be- 
fore, was  so  curious  that  the  young  man  was  quite 
sure  that  it  would  immediately  lead  to  more  sur- 
prising revelations.  So  he  was  greatly  astonished 
when  he  reached  the  old-fashioned  house  to  learn 
from  Stumph  that  the  secret  agent  had  gone  into 
the  country. 

“ He  took  his  fishing  rods,”  explained  Stumph, 
“and  went  to  Jordan’s  Mills.  He  said  he’d  be 
back  to-morrow.” 

“ He’s  gone  down  there  to  think  things  out,” 
Fuller  told  himself,  other  occasions  of  the  same 
sort  fresh  in  his  mind.  “ A pipe,  a green  bank 
under  a tree,  and  a painted  float  to  watch,  are  fine 
things  to  make  thoughts  run.  They  just  seem  to 
drift  along  with  the  current.” 

Sure  enough,  the  next  afternoon  Ashton-Kirk 
came  back  ; there  was  a keen,  vigorous  look  about 
him  that  told  of  a freshening  such  as  his  aide  had 
pictured.  He  heard  what  Burgess  had  to  say  le- 

157 


ASHTON-KIRK 


158 

garding  his  hunt  for  Karkowsky  as  soon  as  he  ar- 
rived, for  the  man  was  waiting  for  him. 

“ He’s  gone  completely,  so  far  as  I can  make  out,” 
the  broad-shouldered  man  informed  him.  “ There’s 
not  a trace  to  be  found  in  any  direction.  I’ve 
questioned  everybody  I could  find  in  the  section 
who  was  acquainted  with  him,  but  they  knew  only 
his  name  and  thought  him  a pretty  good  sort  of 
fellow.” 

Ashton-Kirk  said  little  in  reply  ; but  his  manner 
showed  that  he  was  far  from  satisfied.  After  din- 
ner he  smoked  and  walked  about  his  study.  Then 
he  went  to  his  room. 

A half  hour  later  a tall,  cadaverous-looking  per- 
son, in  a black  coat  and  with  a silk  hat,  the  nap  of 
which  was  well  worn,  came  down  the  stairs.  To 
Stumph  he  said : 

“ I shall  be  back  in  a few  hours,  perhaps.  But 
should  any  one  call,  say  that  I will  see  him  in  the 
morning.” 

“Very  well,  sir,”  said  Stumph,  gravely. 

It  w'as  just  fading  from  the  late  twilight  to  the 
early  shadows  of  evening  when  the  cadaverous 
man  turned  the  corner  and  headed  toward  Fourth 
Street.  His  shoulders  were  bent  and  his  gait  was 
shuffling ; the  thread  gloves  which  he  wore  were 
broken  in  places  here  and  there  and  the  black  coat 
was  a trifle  short  in  the  sleeves. 

But  he  attracted  little  or  no  attention,  for  in 


SECRET  AGENT 


159 


that  neighborhood  shabby  characters  were  frequent 
enough.  When  once  he  got  into  his  stride  it  was 
astonishing  to  see  how  he  covered  the  ground,  for 
all  the  shuffle.  At  Fourth  Street  and  Corinth 
Avenue  he  halted  and  looked  about. 

It  was  now  dark ; the  street  lights  were  throwing 
their  pale  blue  rays  into  the  hidden  corners  of  the 
dirty  highways ; upon  stoop  and  cellar  doors, 
throngs  of  soiled-looking  men  and  women  were 
congregated  ; hordes  of  children  were  all  about, 
and  their  cries  were  shrill  and  incessant. 

“ Brekling  ? ” said  a man  with  a peddler’s  cart. 
“ Oh,  yes,  his  place  is  there  on  the  corner.” 

A yellow  gaslight  burned  dimly  in  the  harness 
shop  when  the  man  in  the  worn  top  hat  entered. 
There  was  a heavy  smell  of  leather  and  oil ; the 
floor  was  littered  with  scraps,  and  the  broken  parts 
of  many  sets  of  harness  were  stacked  up  in  the 
rear.  A small  man  with  round  spectacles  and  a 
dirty  apron  came  forward ; he  had  been  reading  a 
Polish  newspaper  under  the  dim  light. 

“Well,  sir,”  said  he,  inquiringly,  and  with  a 
marked  accent,  “ what  can  I do  for  you  this  even- 
ing ? ” 

“ You  have  rooms  to  rent,  I believe,”  said  the 
other  in  a shaky  sort  of  voice. 

Instantly  the  small  man  was  all  attention.  He 
put  down  his  newspaper  and  beamed  through  his 
Iflasses  at  the  stranger. 


i6o 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ I have  one  room,”  said  he.  “ It  is  on  the  third 
floor,  but  it  is  a good  room  and  well  furnished. 
Will  you  look  at  it  ? ” 

“ Yes,  if  you  please,”  quavered  the  man  v/ith  the 
bent  shoulders. 

The  little  harness-maker  lighted  a candle  and 
led  the  way  to  a staircase  at  the  side  which  opened 
into  the  street.  A troop  of  children  had  posses- 
sion of  it  and  their  shrill  outcries  as  they  ran  up 
and  down  were  deafening.  Like  a fury  the  Pole 
ran  among  them,  scattering  them  right  and  left. 

“ But  they  are  good  children,”  he  told  the  pros- 
pective tenant,  “ and  they  make  very  little  noise.” 

The  room  was  small  and  had  a window  opening 
upon  a court ; the  furniture  was  scant  and  the  floor 
was  bare. 

“ Once,”  confessed  the  little  harness-maker,  “ I 
had  a carpet  for  it ; but  there  were  so  many  holes 
in  it  at  last,  that  I took  it  up.  Some  day,”  hope- 
fully, “ I shall  get  another.” 

The  other  gave  a glance  about. 

” I shall  take  it — if  it  is  not  too  much.” 

“ Six  dollars  a month  is  not  too  much,”  said  the 
tradesman  landlord.  “ It  is  worth  more.” 

“ I’ll  give  you  five,”  stated  the  other,  in  his 
shaky  voice. 

The  Pole  gestured  his  despair  ; the  candle  went 
up  and  down  and  the  two  huge  shadows  jigged 
grotesquely  upon  the  wall. 


SECRET  AGENT  i6i 

“ It  is  worth  six,”  he  said.  “ The  last  tenant 
paid  that  much  without  a word.” 

“ He  was  rich,”  suggested  the  other.  “ No  one 
but  a man  of  means  would  pay  that.” 

“ He  was  not  rich,”  protested  Brekling.  “ He 
was  as  poor  as  a rat.  I know  that,  for  he  was 
a countryman  of  mine,  and  there  are  no  rich 
Poles.” 

The  man  with  the  bent  shoulders  counted  out 
five  dollars  in  small  coin  upon  a table. 

“ I will  pay  a month  in  advance,”  said  he. 

The  little  man  looked  at  the  pile  of  silver  for  a 
moment ; unable  to  resist,  he  said  : 

“ Very  well,  I will  take  it.  But  the  room  is 
worth  more.” 

He  scraped  up  the  money  and  put  it  away  in  his 
pocket ; the  other  took  off  his  hat  and  laid  it  upon 
the  table  and  looked  about  with  the  manner  of  a 
man  at  home. 

“ Have  you  any  other  lodgers  ? ” he  asked. 

“ There  are  three  families  on  the  floor  below, 
and  then  there  are  a few  mechanics  on  this.  But 
they  are  all  decent  people,”  earnestly.  “ Some- 
times they  take  a little  too  much,  but  not  often. 
You  will  find  that  they  are  quiet  enough.”  Then 
after  a look  at  his  new  tenant,  “ You  will  move 
in  at  once  ? ” 

“To-morrow.  And  now,  if  you  don’t  mind,  I 
should  like  to  be  left  alone.” 


1 62  ASHTON-KIRK 

“ Of  course,”  said  the  little  harness-maker.  “ Of 
course.” 

And  so  he  went  out  and  down  the  stairs  to  his 
shop.  If  he  had  been  a curious  man  and  had 
loitered  on  the  landing  and  put  his  eye  to  the 
keyhole,  he  would  have  witnessed  an  unusual 
sight.  For  the  door  had  no  sooner  closed  behind 
him  than  the  cadaverous-looking  man  altered  in 
appearance  like  an  enchanted  prince  in  a fairy- 
tale. The  bent  shoulders  disappeared,  the  tread 
as  he  moved  swiftly  about  the  room  was  firm  and 
noiseless,  the  face  became  keen  and  resolute,  the 
eyes  alert  and  eager.  He  drew  off  the  long  black 
coat  and  with  sleeves  tucked  up  began  a search- 
ing examination  of  the  room.  The  closet,  the 
bureau,  the  wash-stand  came  first ; then  t!te  edges 
of  the  floor.  The  contents  of  a small  sheet-iron 
stove  were  dragged  out ; amid  the  coal  ash  was 
much  burnt  paper,  but  apparently  nothing  that 
brought  the  searcher  any  reward.  After  about 
an  hour,  he  stood  in  the  center  of  the  room, 
defeated. 

” Friend  Karkowsky  is  a careful  man,”  he  mut- 
tered. “ There  is  not  a scrap  of  anything.” 

He  put  on  his  coat  and  hat  and  left  the  room. 
Once  outside  the  door,  the  shuffle  reappeared  in 
his  gait,  the  cadaverous  look  returned,  and  the 
shoulders  bent  wearily.  In  the  shop,  the  harness- 
maker  was  once  more  engaged  with  the  Polish 


SECRET  AGENT  163 

newspaper ; he  looked  up  as  his  new  tenant  came 
in. 

“ Your  last  lodger  was  not  careful,’*  complained 
the  latter  in  his  shaky  voice.  “The  room  is  in 
quite  a state.” 

“ But  I will  fix  it,”  announced  the  Pole  accom- 
modatingly. “ I always  treat  my  lodgers  right ; 
never  has  one  complained.  But  I often  had  to 
complain.  Now,  that  same  man — the  one  that 
had  your  room  last — gave  me  much  trouble. 
Would  you  believe  it,  the  police  came  at  last  1 ” 

“ Ah,  yes.  He  was  a disturber.” 

“ No,  no.  Indeed,  he  was  very  quiet.  Even 
when  the  other  lodgers  made  a noise  he  did  not 
get  mad.  The  only  person  he  ever  quarreled 
with  was  Jackson.” 

“ And  who  is  Jackson  ? ” 

“ He  is  the  postman.  It  was  something  about 
letters  that  they  fought  over.  Once  Karkowsky 
called  the  letter  man  a dunce.  But  Jackson  only 
laughed.” 

An  hour  later,  in  his  study,  Ashton-Kirk  took 
down  the  telephone  receiver  and  asked  for  a 
certain  number.  When  he  was  connected  he 
asked : 

“ Is  that  Postal  Station  Seven  ? ” 

“ It  is,”  came  the  reply. 

“Can  you  give  me  the  address  of  Postman 
Jackson,  attached  to  that  station  ? ” 


ASHTON-KIRK 


164 

“No.  But  I can  tell  you  where  you  can  get 
him  if  you  want  him  to-night.” 

“ I’ll  be  obliged  to  you.” 

“Call  up  Wonderleigh’s  place;  he’s  sure  to 
be  there  at  this  hour,  playing  pinochle  in  the 
back  room.  The  number’s  35-79  Parkside.” 

In  a few  moments  the  secret  agent  had  Mr. 
Jackson  on  the  wire. 

“ I want  to  speak  to  you  about  Karkowsky, 
lately  on  your  route,”  said  he. 

There  was  a laugh  at  the  other  end ; then  the 
postman  answered : 

“ This  ain’t  the  police  ? ” 

“ Not  exactly,  but  something  of  the  sort.” 

“Well,  I’ve  kind  of  expected  that  somebody 
would  ask  me  about  that  old  scout ; they  seem  to 
have  asked  everybody  else.” 

“ Would  you  mind  telling  me  about  the 
trouble  you  had  with  him  regarding  some  let- 
ters ? ” 

“ Oh,  that ! Sure.  You  see,  Karkowsky  for 
the  first  while  that  he  lived  at  Brekling’s  place 
received  a letter  a couple  of  times  a week  that 
always  got  my  attention.  It  was  in  a woman’s 
writing — kind  of  a foreign  writing  that  was 
mighty  hard  to  make  out.  It  was  always  a 
brown,  square  envelope,  and  it  was  always  post- 
marked at  Central  Station.  I couldn’t  tell  you 
all  this  about  most  of  the  letters  I handle,  but 


SECRET  AGENT 


165 

this  one  gave  me  so  much  trouble  at  first  find- 
ing out  what  the  address  was  that  I knew  it  by 
heart. 

“ One  day  I handed  one  of  them  to  Karkowsky, 
and  he  threw  it  back  at  me. 

“ ‘ That’s  not  for  me,’  he  said.  And  sure  enough 
it  wasn’t.  It  was  for  another  party  a couple  of 
blocks  away — a party  that  was  new  to  my  route. 
This  same  mistake  happened  a couple  of  times — 
me  being  so  used  to  the  letters  that  I never  looked 
at  ’em  twice — and  every  time  old  Karkowsky  got 
his  back  up.  One  day  I kidded  him  about  losing 
his  girl  and  said  I guessed  some  other  fellow  had 
won  her  out,  seeing  that  he  was  getting  all  the 
letters,  and  Karkowsky  swore.  He  called  me 
some  hard  names  that  day  and  threatened  to 
report  me.  So  I cut  out  the  jokes.” 

” When  the  letters  began  arriving  for  the  second 
person  they  ceased  for  Karkowsky  ? ” 

” Right  away.  He  never  got  another  one.” 

There  was  a moment’s  silence ; then  the  secret 
agent  asked : 

“ Can  you  recall  this  other  person’s  name?” 

“ Oh,  yes.  It’s  Kendreg.  He  lives  on  the  top 
floor  of  424  Lowe  Street.” 

After  Ashton-Kirk  had  hung  up  he  sat  for  a 
few  moments,  a peculiar  expression  on  his  face. 
Then  he  pressed  one  of  the  row  of  buttons.  While 
awaiting  a response,  he  penciled  a few  lines  upon 


ASHTON-KIRK 


1 66 

a tablet ; when  Fuller  came  in  he  tore  off  the 
sheet  and  handed  it  to  him. 

“ Give  this  to  Burgess,”  he  requested.  “ Have 
him  look  this  person  up  quietly.  Tell  him  to 
work  under  cover  as  much  as  possible;  and  to 
especially  note  if  he  has  any  women  visitors.” 

“Very  well,”  said  Fuller;  and  turning  he  left 
the  room. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


Old  Nanon  Speaks 

Ashton-Kirk  was  at  breakfast  next  morning 
when  Fuller  entered. 

“ I beg  pardon,”  said  the  assistant,  “ but  I’ve 
just  had  a call  from  Burgess,  and  I thought  you’d 
like  to  hear  what  he  had  to  say.” 

“ Good.  Let’s  have  it.” 

“ He  went  to  424  Lowe  Street  last  night  after  I 
gave  him  your  instructions.  It’s  a large  building, 
once  used  as  a factory,  but  now  rearranged  as  an 
apartment  house.  There  was  a gas-lighted  sign 
over  the  door  which  said  rooms  might  be  had. 
Burgess  took  one  on  the  fourth  floor,  and  in  a 
conversation  with  the  caretaker  mentioned  that  he 
had  a friend,  a Pole,  who  had  lived  there. 

“ ‘ Do  you  know  Kendreg  ? ’ says  the  caretaker. 
‘ He’s  right  across  the  hall  from  you.’ 

“ But  Burgess  says  no,  that’s  not  the  name. 
And  when  the  man  went  away  he  waited  a while, 
and  then  knocked  at  the  door  opposite.  The 
person  who  opened  in  answer  to  the  knock  was  a 
middle-aged  man,  stout  and  with  grayish  hair. 
Burgess  says  he  was  enough  like  the  description 
we  had  of  Karkowsky  to  be  his  twin  brother.” 

167 


i68  ASHTON-KIRK 

Ashton-Kirk  set  down  his  coffee  cup,  a smile 
upon  his  face. 

“ It  is  Karkowsky  himself,  just  as  I expected,” 
said  he.  “ But,”  glancing  at  Fuller,  “ what  hap- 
pened then  ? ” 

“ Burgess  merely  asked  if  he  could  bother  him 
for  a match,  which  the  stout  man  provided  will- 
ingly enough,  and  then  promptly  closed  his 
door.” 

“ Nothing  more?” 

” That  is  all,  so  far.” 

” What  do  the  papers  report  that  is  new  ? ” 

“ Nothing,  except  that  Osborne  has  returned 
and  will  now  plunge  into  the  intricacies  of  the 
case  with  renewed  zeal.  They  seem  to  suspect 
him  of  having  made  wonderful  discoveries  of  some 
sort.” 

“ Have  you  heard  anything  from  Purves  ? ” 

“ Yes.  He  reports  that  no  one  but  Drevenoff 
has  made  any  movement  away  from  the  house  in 
Fordham  Road,  Eastbury.  And  that  /le  has 
merely  walked  about  a little,  apparently  for  exer- 
cise, or  gone  to  the  nearest  post-box  to  mail  some 
letters.” 

” Dr.  Morse  is  to  be  buried  to-day,  I believe  ? ” 

” Yes,  at  about  noon.” 

It  was  at  that  hour  that  Stumph  entered  the 
study. 

” There  is  a woman  below,  sir,”  said  he.  “ She 


SECRET  AGENT 


169 

is  quite  old — and  quite  remarkable.  She  wishes  to 
speak  to  you,  and  says  that  I’m  to  inform  you  that 
she  is  from  Dr.  Morse’s.” 

“ Bring  her  up.” 

Old  Nanon  came  in  a few  moments  later,  grim, 
erect  and  angular.  Her  keen  eyes  seemed  some- 
what sunken,  and  her  wrinkled  face  more  gaunt ; 
but  her  glance  was  as  sharp  as  ever,  and  her 
mouth  was  set  in  the  same  stern  line. 

“ You  are  surprised,”  she  said,  when  she  had 
seated  herself  and  studied  him  for  a moment. 
“ You  thought  that  because  Simon  Morse  was 
being  carried  to  the  grave  that  I,  an  old  servant  of 
his  family,  would  remain  near  him  to  the  last.” 

“ It’s  the  sort  of  thing  that’s  usually  expected,” 
said  the  secret  agent. 

“ No  one  who  knows  would  expect  it  from  me,” 
said  the  old  woman.  “No  one  who  knows  would 
expect  it  from  me,”  she  repeated,  her  lips  forming 
the  words  slowly,  and  her  gray  head  swaying 
from  side  to  side.  “ I knew  him  from  a child. 
He  was  evil — possessed  of  evil ; and  what  he  was 
in  the  last  days  of  his  life,  so  he  was  always.” 

Ashton-Kirk  said  nothing  ; he  remained  gazing 
at  the  old  Breton  woman,  his  hands  clasping  his 
knee  and  his  head  tilted  so  as  to  rest  upon  the 
back  of  his  chair. 

“ There  was  never  any  other  in  the  family  like 
him,”  she  continued.  “ Not  one.  I have  known 


ASHTON-KIRK 


170 

them  for  four  generations.  His  great-grand- 
mother it  was  who  employed  me  first ; I was  a 
girl  then,  and  she  was  good  to  me.  They  were  all 
good  to  me,  and  I remained  with  them  and  served 
them  as  well  as  I could.  But  there  must  have 
been  something  wicked  in  them  somewhere,  some- 
thing hidden  and  black,  and  in  this  son  it  showed 
itself.”  Here  her  voice  lowered  and  she  leaned 
toward  the  secret  agent.  “ In  Brittany  there  is  a 
belief  that  there  are  those  gifted  with  a strange 
vision.  Have  I that,  I wonder?  Sometimes  I 
have  thought  so  ; for  it  was  I alone  who  saw  Simon 
Morse  entirely  as  he  was.  To  be  sure,  others 
have  heard  him  blaspheme,  and  still  others  have 
read  his  books.  But  I alone  knew  him  for  what 
he  was.” 

The  secret  agent  still  sat  attentively  silent ; if  he 
wondered  what  all  this  would  eventually  lead  to, 
he  made  no  sign. 

“ I have  always  been  thankful,”  proceeded 
Nanon,  “ that  only  one  of  the  family  was  so  cursed. 
All  those  w'ho  had  gone  before  were  mild  and 
religious  and  gentle.  And  because  of  this  I felt 
that  I should  not  desert  this  tainted  one,  but  re- 
main and  strive  with  him,  even  if  it  did  no  good.” 
She  paused  for  a moment,  and  the  bony  old  hands, 
with  their  thick  blue  veins,  were  locked  tightly  to- 
gether. “ Yes,”  she  resumed,  ” I was  always 
thankful  that  only  one  of  them  was  evil  of  heart, 


SECRET  AGENT 


171 

but  now,”  whisperingly,  “ I am  not  so  sure  that  I 
have  even  that  to  be  thankful  for.” 

A faint  wrinkle  showed  itself  between  the  eyes 
of  Ashton-Kirk ; but  other  than  this  he  made  no 
sign  that  he  was  disturbed. 

“ Love,”  said  the  old  woman,  after  a few  mo- 
ments, “ is  the  one  thing  which  is  thought  to  be 
the  corrector  of  what  is  bad.  Through  love,  I 
have  heard  it  said,  the  fair-hearted  influences  the 
wrong-doer.  It  is  as  a bridge  between  them,  over 
which  is  passed  the  saving  grace.  That  is  what 
every  one  says.  But,”  and  there  was  a note  in 
her  voice  which  was  almost  savage,  “ is  it  true  ? 
And  if  it  works  one  way,  why  should  it  not  work 
the  other?  If  good  passes  between  two  people 
because  they  love  each  other,  why  should  not  evil  ? 
And,”  very  slowly,  ” Simon  Morse  and  his  niece 
were  much  attached  to  each  other.” 

Through  the  open  window,  the  roar  of  midday 
arose  from  the  street.  The  throaty  voices  of  ped- 
dlers, the  grind  of  wheels  and  the  warning  cries  of 
drivers  were  ceaseless ; and  below  all  this  was  an 
undertone,  a subdued  murmurous  undertone  such 
as  is  made  by  cautious  creatures,  each  with  a 
private  design. 

” Sometimes,”  said  the  old  woman,  ” things  are 
expected,  and  when  they  come  they  create  no  sur- 
prise. And,  again,  there  are  others  which  are  so 
unexpected  that  they  all  but  crush  one  to  the  earth.” 


172  ASHTON-KIRK 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded. 

“ Something  unexpected  has  happened,”  he  said. 

“You  shall  hear  all  for  yourself,”  said  the  old 
servant.  “ It  was  for  that  purpose  that  I came  to 
you.”  She  settled  herself  rigidly  in  her  chair,  up- 
right, unbending,  full  of  purpose.  “ I have  read 
the  newspapers,”  she  said.  ” I have  heard  the 
police  and  the  coroner’s  deputy.  They  have  all 
said  much,  and  in  the  end  their  talk  comes  to 
this : Philip  Warwick  murdered  Simon  Morse. 

“ Perhaps,”  and  her  gray  eyes  searched  his  face, 
“ you  too  think  so.  But  no  matter.  I tell  you, 
and  I know , that  he  did  not  do  this  thing.” 

There  was  a moment’s  silence,  then  Ashton- 
Kirk  said,  quietly : 

“Then  who  did?” 

She  gestured  with  both  hands. 

“ Because  I say  that  I know  that  he  did  not,” 
she  replied,  “ does  it  follow  that  I must  know  who 
did?"  She  waited  for  an  answer,  but  as  none 
came,  she  went  on  : “You  have  heard  that  Philip 
Warwick  and  Stella  Corbin  were  to  be  married  ? 
I thought  so.  He  is  a very  boyish  fellow  ; he  was 
proud  of  her  and  told  every  one.  I was  glad  when 
I heard  it,  for  I thought  them  well  mated.  But 
Simon  was  not  pleased ; the  young  man  perhaps 
would  not  follow  where  he  led  ; at  any  rate  he  dis- 
liked him.  They  quite  frequently  had  high  words  ; 
but  Mr.  Warwick  never  allowed  himself  to  go  too 


SECRET  AGENT 


173 

far  in  his  resentment — at  least  never  until  lately. 
The  day  that  you  first  visited  the  house,  they 
almost  came  to  blows ; and  on  the  night  that  Simon 
was  killed,  he  actually  struck  his  secretary.” 

” This  was  not  told  to  the  police,”  said  the  secret 
agent.  “ Why  ? ” 

“ I was  the  only  one  that  saw  it,”  said  the  old 
woman,  “ and  I did  not  tell  of  it  because  I knew 
that  it  would  only  make  them  suspect  the  young 
man  all  the  more.” 

“ Go  on,”  said  Ash  ton- Kirk. 

” This  is  how  I came  to  be  a witness  to  what 
passed  between  them.  I had  gone  to  the  front 
door  to  answer  a ring,  but  it  was  only  a person  to 
inquire  about  some  one  who  had  lately  left  a house 
across  the  street.  As  I closed  the  door,  I saw  that 
of  the  library  ajar  ; and  through  the  opening  I saw 
Dr.  Morse  and  Mr.  Warwick  standing  facing  each 
other. 

” ‘ Very  well,  then,’  Mr.  Warwick  was  saying, 
‘ it  shall  be  done  in  spite  of  you.’ 

“ And  with  that  the  other  lifted  his  hand,  and  I 
heard  the  sound  of  the  blow  even  where  I stood.” 

” Did  Warwick  return  it  ? ” 

“ I think  not.  I did  not  wait  to  see,  however, 
but  went  on  along  the  hall.  I turned,  though,  as 
I reached  the  end,  and  saw  Mr.  Warwick  step  out 
of  the  library  and  walk  toward  the  stairs.  He  had 
gone  up  perhaps  three  steps  when  he  stopped  and 


ASHTON-KIRK 


174 

was  about  to  turn  back  ; but,  though  he  was  fairly- 
shaking  with  anger,  he  thought  better  of  it  and 
went  on  up  to  his  room.” 

“ At  what  time  was  this  ? ” 

” Immediately  after  dinner.”  If  such  a thing 
were  possible,  the  old  woman  sat  more  erect  than 
ever,  the  craggy  brows  bent  over  the  sharp  eyes, 
and  the  voice  sank  a tone  lower.  “ And  as  Philip 
Warwick  went  up  the  stairs,  I saw  Miss  Stella  come 
out  of  the  room  opposite  the  library ; she  stood 
looking  after  him — and  on  her  face  was  a look 
which  I had  never  noticed  there  before.  She  had 
seen  what  had  happened,  and  for  some  reason  was 
glad  of  it. 

” There  was  nothing  more,  until  I left  the  front 
door  some  time  later  and  went  to  the  kitchen  to 
make  the  coffee.  Then  I heard  something  on  the 
back  stairs.  Thinking  it  might  be  Drevenoff,  taken 
bad,  I opened  the  door.  But  it  was  Miss  Stella 
and  Mr.  Warwick.  They  stood  on  the  landing, 
and  were  talking  in  low  tones.  I could  not  help 
overhearing  what  they  said ; and  I remember  it 
bec§,use  I have  repeated  it  over  and  over  to  my- 
self a thousand  times  since  then. 

” ‘ Is  it  possible  ? ’ Mr.  Warwick  said.  ‘ Have 
you  really  got  it  ? ’ 

” I did  not  hear  what  was  said  in  answer ; and 
then  he  spoke  again. 

” ‘ But  how  in  the  world  did  you  manage  it  ? 1 


SECRET  AGENT 


17s 

know  he  thinks  a great  deal  of  you,  but  I never 
dreamed  that  he’d  give ’ 

“ Here  she  must  have  stopped  him  by  putting 
her  fingers  to  his  lips,  a way  that  she  had. 

“ ‘ Don’t  stop  to  talk,’  I heard  Miss  Stella  say. 
‘ You  must  go  at  once.  And  no  matter  what  you 
hear,  do  not  return  until  I send  you  word.’ 

“ Then  I closed  the  door  softly,  as  they  stole 
down-stairs ; and  after  a little  again  came  the  soft 
footfalls,  this  time  going  up  the  stairs.” 

There  was  a pause,  and  then  the  old  woman 
crossed  her  hands  in  her  lap,  her  eyes  looking 
sternly  into  the  face  of  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ It  was  only  a few  minutes  after  that,”  she  said, 
“ that  I found  Simon  Morse  dead  in  his  chair.” 


CHAPTER  XIV 


Okiu  Writes  a Letter 

Ashton-Kirk,  a short  time  after  the  old  serv- 
ant woman  left,  rang  for  Fuller.  When  the 
latter  entered  he  found  his  employer  writing  a 
telegram. 

“Have  you  heard  anything  from  O’Neill?” 
asked  the  secret  agent. 

“ This  morning — yes.  He  merely  said  that  he 
was  still  trying  to  strike  the  trail  of  Philip  War- 
wick.” 

Ashton-Kirk  held  out  the  telegram. 

“ Send  him  this,”  said  he,  briefly. 

Fuller  glanced  at  the  yellow  sheet,  and  then 
whistled,  amazedly ; however,  he  said  nothing, 
but  instantly  left  the  room. 

The  morning  mail  lay  neglected  upon  the  table 
Some  were  sharp,  businesslike  envelopes,  bearing 
downright  statements  as  to  the  senders’  identity ; 
others  were  big  and  square,  while  a number  were 
small  and  dainty.  A few  were  remarkable  after 
the  same  manner  that  an  oddly  dressed  man  is 
remarkable  ; and  to  one  of  these  latter  the  eye  of 
the  secret  agent  was  first  attracted. 

176 


SECRET  AGENT 


177 

“ It’s  hardly  to  be  wondered  at,”  he  mused,  as 
he  held  up  the  envelope  and  studied  its  character- 
istics, “ that  the  postman  should  have  mentally 
marked  the  letters  received  by  Karkowsky.  There 
seems  an  individuality  about  each  piece  of  mail 
that  must  almost  unconsciously  impress  the  per- 
son handling  it.  A strange  style  of  handwriting 
is  like  a strange  face  ; the  very  manner  of  sticking 
on  a stamp  might  give  very  clear  indications  as 
to  another’s  mental  process.” 

He  cut  open  the  flap  of  the  envelope  ; when  he 
unfolded  the  sheet  enclosed,  he  glanced  at  the 
signature ; then  he  lay  back  in  his  chair,  a smile 
upon  his  face. 

“ Okiu,”  he  murmured.  ” I was  beginning  to 
wonder  what  his  first  move  would  be.” 

Still  smiling,  he  held  the  letter  up  once  more, 
and  read  : 


“ My  dear  Mr.  Ashton-Kirk  : 

“ I was  most  happy  to  meet  you  upon 
several  occasions  recently.  But,  believe  me,  I 
had  no  actual  realization  of  what  you  were,  or  I 
should  have  been  overcome. 

” To  think  that  you  know  my  own  language, 
that  you  have  studied  the  literature  of  Nippon, 
that  you  have  even  written  a most  delightful 
appreciation  of  it.  And  all  the  time  I was  igno- 
rant of  this ! 

“ It  grieves  me  to  think  that  you  might  con- 


ASHTON-KIRK 


178 

sider  me  amiss  in  this,  and  so  I try  to  make 
amends.  May  I not  greet  you  at  my  house  ? I 
can  show  you  some  Japanese  and  Korean  manu- 
scripts which  no  Caucasian  has  ever  laid  eyes  on 
before ; and  also  I have  rare  books  which  may 
afford  you  some  pleasure  to  see. 

“ I should  be  gratified  to  have  you  call  to- 
night. If  it  can  be  managed,  have  some  one 
telephone  me.  And,  in  the  formal  way  of  my 
country, 

“ I am,  most  honorable  sir,  at  your  feet, 

“ Okiu.” 

For  some  time  Ashton- Kirk  lay  back  in  his  big 
chair,  the  smile  still  on  his  lips.  Then  Fuller 
came  in. 

“ O’Neill  will  be  astonished  when  he  gets  that 
wire,”  he  said. 

Ashton-Kirk  tossed  him  the  letter. 

“ Answer  this,”  said  he,  lazily.  “ Say  that  I'll 
come.” 

Fuller  read  the  letter  through  without  com- 
ment ; then  he  went  to  the  telephone  and  did  as 
directed.  When  he  had  finished,  he  turned  to 
the  other. 

“ The  Jap  has  made  up  his  mind  to  something,” 
he  said. 

“ He  made  up  his  mind  upon  our  first  meeting,” 
replied  Ashton-Kirk.  “ He  has  now  decided  what 
he  will  do.” 

Fuller  shook  his  head. 


SECRET  AGENT 


179 

“ Look  out  for  him,”  he  warned.  “ He’s  dan- 
gerous.” 

Ashton-Kirk  yawned.  ” The  bird  or  beast  of 
prey  is  marked  by  nature,”  he  said.  “ And  there 
is  no  movement  they  make  that  is  not  in  itself  a 
warning.” 

There  was  nothing  more  said  for  some  little 
time.  The  secret  agent  read  his  mail,  and  indi- 
cated upon  each  letter  back  what  his  answer  was 
to  be.  These  he  passed  to  Fuller,  who  read  them 
over  and  arranged  them  for  answering.  But  after 
finishing  this  work  the  young  man  did  not  retire 
at  once,  as  was  his  custom.  He  hesitated  for  a 
few  moments,  and  then  said  : 

“Don’t  think  I’m  taken  with  the  idea  that  I can 
run  this  case  better  than  you  ; but  last  night  after 
I left  here,  I got  to  going  over  the  matter,  and 
there  are  some  things  about  it  that  troubled  me.” 

Ashton  Kirk  nodded. 

“ You  are  not  exactly  alone  in  that,”  he  an- 
swered. “ Several  times  I have  seen  what  I 
fancied  must  be  the  bottom  of  the  affair  ; but  in 
almost  the  next  breath,  something  happened  which 
changed  my  mind.  This  morning  I was  ready  to 
indicate  to  Osborne  what  steps  to  take  to  secure 
the  assassin  of  Dr.  Morse ; but  again  I received 
information  that  brought  me  to  a standstill.” 

“ You  found  that  you  were  mistaken  as  to  the 
guilty  person  ? ” asked  Fuller  curiously. 


i8o 


ASHTON-KIRK 


But  the  other  did  not  reply  to  this. 

“Just  what  are  the  things  which  you  say 
troubled  you  ? ” he  asked. 

“ First  of  all,  the  fact  that  this  fellow  Drevenoff 
has  the  free  run  of  the  Eastbury  house.  Suppose 
Warwick  did  not,  after  all,  make  off  with  the  state 
paper  you  are  seeking.  Very  likely  it  is  still  in 
the  house.  You  know  that  the  Pole  is  searching 
for  it ; at  any  moment  he  may  find  it,  and  if  he 
does,  how  easy  it  would  be  for  him  to  slip  it  in  an 
envelope  and  mail  it  to  a confederate.” 

“ There  is  very  little  danger  of  his  coming  upon 
it  now,”  said  Ashton-Kirk  quietly. 

Fuller  looked  at  him  swiftly. 

“You  have  learned,  then,  that  it  is  not  in  the 
house  ! ” he  said. 

Ashton-Kirk  shook  his  head. 

“ As  to  that,”  said  he,  “ I am  not  sure.  But,” 
and  the  singular  eyes  half  closed  as  he  spoke, 
“ perhaps  it  does  not  make  a great  deal  of  differ- 
ence.” 


CHAPTER  XV 


Almost 

After  dinner  that  evening,  Ashton-Kirk  looked 
over  the  last  edition  of  the  papers.  About  eight 
o’clock  he  arose,  stretched  himself  contentedly, 
and  then  went  to  a stand,  a drawer  of  which  he 
pulled  open.  From  this  he  took  several  black, 
squat-looking  pistols  of  the  automatic  type,  and 
one  by  one  balanced  them  in  his  hand.  Select- 
ing the  one  which  struck  his  fancy,  he  slipped  it 
into  his  pocket  and  prepared  to  go  out. 

“ Shall  you  leave  any  word,  sir  ? ” asked  Stumph, 
in  the  lower  hall. 

The  secret  agent  paused  for  a moment.  Then 
he  scribbled  something  on  a card  and  gave  it  to 
the  man. 

“If  I do  not  return  by  morning,  get  Fuller  on 
the  telephone  and  read  this  to  him,”  said  he. 

“ Very  good,  sir.” 

At  the  station  Ashton-Kirk  was  forced  to  wait 
some  little  time  for,  a train  ; and  when,  finally,  he 
rang  the  bell  at  Okiu’s  door  in  Eastbury,  it  was  a 
trifle  past  nine  o’clock. 

There  was  a delay  after  he  rang ; the  house 
was  gloomy  ; not  a light  showed  at  any  of  the  win- 

181 


ASHTON-KIRK 


182 

dows ; from  all  indications  it  may  have  been  de- 
serted. But  through  the  tail  of  his  eye  he  caught 
a slight  stirring  of  a curtain  at  a window  upon  the 
lower  floor. 

“ They  seem  to  be  very  careful,”  mused  the 
secret  agent.  ” I am  much  favored,  as,  appar- 
ently, they  do  not  admit  any  one  who  is  not 
thoroughly  convincing.” 

After  another  brief  space,  the  door  was  opened. 
Ashton-Kirk  saw  a dim  hall  and  a short  man  of 
enormous  girth. 

“Mr.  Okiu?”  asked  the  secret  agent. 

“ He  is  at  home,”  replied  the  fat  man.  “Who 
are  you  ? ” 

The  secret  agent  gave  his  name,  and  at  once 
the  man  stood  aside. 

“ I will  tell  him  that  you  are  here,”  said  he,  as 
Ashton-Kirk  entered.  “ Will  you  sit  down  ? ” 

He  indicated  a hall  chair  with  much  politeness ; 
but  Ashton-Kirk  nodded  and  remained  standing. 
There  was  a single  incandescent  lamp  burning  in 
the  hall,  and  its  yellow  rays  barely  lit  up  the  dark 
corners.  At  the  end  was  a railed  stairway  which 
led  to  the  rooms  above ; and  along  the  hall  there 
was  a dark  array  of  tightly-closed  doors.  How- 
ever, these  things  got  but  a glance  from  the  secret 
agent.  The  Japanese  who  had  admitted  him  at- 
tracted his  notice. 

This  latter  had  a huge,  round  head  and  a fat. 


SECRET  AGENT 


183 

brutal  face,  and  his  immense  body  gave  him  the 
appearance  of  an  overfed  animal.  His  skin  glis- 
tened with  a high-smelling  oil ; when  he  moved, 
its  scent  was  particularly  heavy  and  unpleasant. 
Everything  about  him  seemed  to  promise  inertia, 
ponderous  movements,  shortness  of  breath.  But 
this  promise  was  not  kept,  for  he  passed  down  the 
hall  with  a light,  quick  step ; then  he  sprang  at 
the  staircase  and  went  bounding  up  like  an  enor- 
mous rubber  ball. 

There  was  something  in  this  so  unexpected,  so 
utterly  tiger-like,  that  Ashton-Kirk  felt  the  nerves 
of  his  scalp  prickle. 

“ Rather  a formidable  sort,”  he  murmured,  and 
as  he  spoke  his  hand  went  to  his  outer  coat  pocket 
as  though  to  assure  himself  that  the  squat,  black 
pistol  was  still  there.  “ One  might  hold  him  off 
and  hit  him  to  pieces ; but  let  him  break  down 
a guard  and  come  to  grappling  and  he’d  afford 
astonishing  entertainment.” 

In  a few  moments  the  fat  man  reappeared.  He 
paused  half-way  down  the  stairway,  and  the  light 
rays  were  reflected  in  his  slanting  eyes  as  he  fixed 
them  upon  the  secret  agent. 

“ You  will  come  with  me,  please,”  he  said. 

Unhesitatingly  Ashton-Kirk  followed  him  up 
the  stairs  and  along  a hall  upon  the  second  floor. 
A door  at  the  rear  stood  open,  and  at  a round 
table,  under  a powerful  light,  sat  Okiu.  At  sight 


ASHTON-KIRK 


184 

of  the  visitor  this  latter  arose,  a welcoming  smile 
upon  his  placid  face. 

“ Sir,”  said  he,  “ you  are  too  good.  I am 
delighted  beyond  measure.” 

Ashton-Kirk  shook  the  outheld  hand. 

“ I am  pleased  to  be  asked  here,”  said  he.  “ I 
could  have  hoped  for  nothing  that  would  have 
agreed  so  well  with  my  inclinations.” 

The  heavy  lids  partially  veiled  the  black  search- 
ing eyes  of  the  Japanese  ; but  the  bland,  childlike 
face  was  as  expressionless  as  before. 

“You  are  polite,”  smiled  Okiu,  still  shaking  the 
secret  agent’s  hand.  “ But  I knew  you  would  be 
so.  All  persons  of  real  parts  are  kind  and  ready 
to  place  the  stranger  at  his  ease.” 

Then  turning  to  the  other  Japanese,  who 
remained  waiting  in  the  doorway,  he  added  : 

“ Sorakicha,  give  the  gentleman  a chair.” 

With  rapid,  soft,  tiger-like  steps,  Sorakicha 
advanced  ; lifting  a high-backed  chair  he  placed 
it  at  the  side  of  the  table  opposite  where  Okiu  had 
been  sitting.  And  when  the  secret  agent  walked 
around  the  table  he  came  face  to  face  with  the 
man  as  he  was  about  to  leave  the  room. 

“Sorakicha,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  “I  think  you 
have  been  a wrestler.” 

The  brutal  face  became  a mass  of  yellow  cor- 
rugations ; a set  of  broad,  well-worn  teeth  shone 
whitely. 


SECRET  AGENT 


185 

“ I have  been  a champion,”  said  he  proudly. 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded,  and  critically  his  keen 
eyes  ran  over  the  monstrous  form  before  him. 

“ You  are  strong,”  said  he.  Then  darting  out 
one  of  his  slim  hands  he  grasped  the  thick  wrist 
of  the  wrestler.  Instantly  the  man  caught  the 
meaning  of  the  act  and  his  huge,  blubber-like 
body  grew  rigid  with  effort.  There  was  a pause 
full  of  striving ; the  eyes  of  the  two  were  savage, 
the  teeth  shut  tighdy,  the  breath  swelling  in  the 
lungs.  Then,  slowly,  the  thick  arm  of  the  Oriental 
bent  upward  until  the  clinched  hand  touched  the 
shoulder ; and  at  this  Ashton-Kirk  released  him 
and  stepped  back. 

For  a moment  the  amazement  which  the  wrestler 
felt  was  plain ; but  again  the  fat  face  broke  into 
yellow  corrugations. 

‘‘You,  too,  are  strong,”  said  he.  “ But  it  was  a 
trick.” 

“The  proper  use  of  strength  is  made  up  of 
tricks,”  answered  Ashton-Kirk,  simply. 

Okiu  had  witnessed  this  little  incident  with  a 
smiling  calm.  And  now  he  said  to  his  country- 
man : 

“ And  so,  my  friend,  you  have  met  your  match 
at  hand  grasps  ? I told  you  it  would  be  so.  But,” 
and  he  turned  to  Ashton-Kirk,  “ I did  not  expect 
to  see  it  in  a man  like  you.”  There  was  a curi- 
ously speculative  look  in  the  half-closed  eyes  as 


i86 


ASHTON-KIRK 


they  examined  the  tall,  well-built  form  of  the  white 
man.  “ But,”  he  went  on,  “ experience  is  knowl- 
edge, is  it  not  ? And  to  profit  by  experience,”  to 
Sorakicha,  gently,  ” is  the  sign  of  wisdom.  So 
remember,  my  friend,”  and  he  smiled  as  he  spoke, 
“ remember  that  Mr.  Ashton-Kirk  is  strong.” 

“ I will  not  forget,”  replied  the  wrestler,  his 
well-worn  teeth  shining.  And  with  that  he  left  the 
room,  the  door  shutting  quietly  behind  him. 

Ashton-Kirk  sat  down,  as  did  his  host.  The 
latter  fluttered  the  pages  of  a great,  uncouthly 
made  book  which  lay  before  him ; his  yellow, 
beautifully-shaped  hands  touched  the  leaves  with 
careful  gentleness ; it  were  as  though  the  volume 
were  a child  which  he  was  caressing. 

“ Again,”  said  he,  ” I will  tell  you  that  I am 
greatly  favored  by  your  coming.  I had  not 
hoped  for  so  much  when  I wrote  you,  for  I knew,” 
and  here  his  voice  grew  even  softer  than  be- 
fore, “that  your  time  was  greatly  occupied  just 
now.” 

“We  all  have  our  occupations,”  replied  Ashton- 
Kirk,  suavely,  “ but  even  when  one  is  interested, 
one  can  always  find  a little  time  to  devote  to 
others.” 

“ I suppose  that  is  so,”  said  Okiu,  thoughtfully. 
“ However,  I who  am  a mere  idler,  so  to  speak, 
know  very  little  of  the  value  of  time.  Day  after 
day,  night  after  night,  I spend  wandering  in  the 


SECRET  AGENT 


1 87 

a..dent  gardens  of  Nippon.  There  are  no  singers 
like  these,”  and  one  pointed  finger  indicated  some 
shelves  filled  with  books  and  scrolls  ; “ there  are 
no  written  words  quite  so  full  of  beauty.” 

“ The  poets  of  one’s  own  nation  are  always  the 
most  touching,”  said  Ashton-Kirk.  “ This  is  es- 
pecially so  of  the  old  poets.  Sometimes  we  take 
down  a dusty,  musty  old  fellow  from  a top  shelf 
where  he  has  long  lain  neglected,  and  being  in 
the  humor  for  it,  we  are  startled  by  the  sweetness 
of  his  vision.  There  is  a fragrance  about  ancient 
memories  which  is  irresistible.  The  distance, 
perhaps,  has  something  to  do  with  it.  Yesterday 
has  no  perspective  for  the  most  of  us ; but  ‘ yester 
year  ’ is  deep  with  it,  for  all.” 

Okiu  nodded. 

“ The  ancient  peoples  had  their  prophets  and 
their  oracles,”  said  he,  “and  their  gods  spoke 
through  them.  But  the  shades  of  the  old  Nippon- 
ese speak  to  me  through  the  messages  of  the  poets. 
The  virtue  of  the  dead  is  here  accumulated ; the 
wisdom  of  my  holy  ancestors  leaps  up  to  me  from 
the  pages  of  my  books.”  Caressingly,  the  won- 
derful hands  touched  the  faded  pages  of  the 
volume  upon  the  table.  “ There  are  no  thoughts 
so  reverent  as  these,”  he  went  on  ; “ there  are  no 
gardens  so  still,  so  full  of  quiet  odors,  so  slumber- 
ous under  the  stars.  And  there  is  no  moon  so 
silent,  or  so  wan  and  soft  in  searching  out  the 


ASHTON-KIRK 


1 88 

secret  paths  beneath  the  flowering  trees,  where 
the  shadows  walk  hand  in  hand.” 

“ But,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  “ the  great  bulk  of 
your  countrymen  have  forgotten  these  dreams  of 
a past  time.  Modern  progress  seems  to  interest 
them  more  than  anything  else.” 

Again  the  Japanese  nodded. 

“ Progress  was  forced  upon  them,”  said  he,  and 
then  with  a smile,  he  added : “ It  would  be 

strange,  would  it  not,  if  they  should  outstrip  their 
teachers  ? ” 

“ It  is  a thing  which  has  happened  before  now.” 

“ Napoleon,  I have  read,  once  declined  to 
molest  the  Chinese  because  he  feared  to  teach 
them  his  own  great  art,  and  so  put  the  power  in 
their  hands  which  might  eventually  crush  him  and 
his  nation.”  Okiu  laughed  softly,  and  his  polished 
nails  picked  at  the  edges  of  the  book.  “ The 
Corsican,  my  friend,  was  not  quite  so  venturesome 
as  your  merchants.” 

“Your  history  will  point  out  to  you  the  fact 
that  soldiers  are  seldom  so  daring  as  those  in 
quest  of  trade.  In  most  cases  the  trader  is  first 
upon  the  ground  ; and  the  troops  come  later.” 

“ In  any  event,”  replied  Okiu,  “ your  merchants 
desired  the  trade  which  the  Dutch  possessed,  and 
that  desire,  in  the  end,  made  Japan  a nation  to  be 
reckoned  with.  The  more  imitative  the  people, 
say  your  owr-'  philosophers,  the  greater  their 


SECRET  AGENT 


189 

future  development.  And  no  one,”  gently,  “ can 
say  that  my  countrymen  have  not  kept  their  eyes 
open.” 

Ashton- Kirk  smiled. 

“ It  is  a way  they  have,”  said  he.  “ And  people 
who  keep  their  eyes  open  learn  much.” 

“But  not  all,”  said  Okiu.  “The  eyes  will  not 
tell  us  all.”  He  arose  and  walked  to  the  window  ; 
the  starlight  was  but  dim,  and  there  was  no  moon. 
“ Much  as  I might  desire  to  see  what  is  passing 
out  there,”  said  he,  after  a moment,  “ I cannot  do 
so.  And  it  is  so  with  other  desires.  Many  things 
which  we  might  wish  to  know  are  hidden  from  us, 
some  in  one  way,  some  in  another.” 

Ashton-Kirk  said  nothing  in  reply  to  this  ; there 
was  a marked  pause,  then  the  Japanese  went  on : 

“ The  other  night  as  I stood  here,  I saw ” he 

turned  upon  the  secret  agent.  “You  recall  what 
I told  you  ? ” 

“ Very  clearly.” 

“I  saw  moving  shadows,  then  I saw  a man 
hurrying  away.  I should  have  liked  to  have  seen 
more,  but  I could  not — and  so  I went  to  the  house 
over  there  to  see  what  a closer  look  would  do  for 
me.” 

“ And  to  tell  Dr.  Morse  what  you  had  seen.” 

“ As  you  say,  of  course.  And  then  I saw  you — 
a friend  of  the  family  of — was  it  two  days’  dura- 
tion, or  three  ? ” 


190 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“Two  only.” 

“ Thank  you.” 

Okiu  looked  out  into  the  night ; his  arms  were 
folded,  his  legs  very  wide  apart,  his  back  turned 
toward  the  secret  agent.  Usually  there  is  some- 
thing peculiarly  disconcerting  in  a squarely  turned 
back ; it  is  so  blank,  it  tells  so  little.  How- 
ever, this  was  not  so  in  the  case  of  Okiu.  His 
bland,  lineless  face  told  nothing  ; whereas  in  his 
attitude  there  was  a purpose  which  Ashton-Kirk 
read  easily.  And,  reading  it,  he  looked  carefully 
but  swiftly  about  the  room. 

The  table  was  between  himself  and  the  closed 
door  ; a pair  of  heavy  curtains  hung  behind  him. 
To  all  appearances  these  protected  some  open 
book  shelves,  but  a rapid  swing  of  his  light  stick 
showed  the  secret  agent  that  their  real  purpose 
was  to  conceal  a doorway.  Calmly  he  sat  back 
in  his  chair,  nursing  his  cane,  his  keen  eyes  upon 
the  figure  at  the  window. 

“ I think,”  now  resumed  Okiu,  “ that  I re- 
marked at  the  time  how  short  a space  there  was 
between  your  forming  the  acquaintance  of  Dr. 
Morse  and  his  death.  You  meet  him  one  night 
and  he  dies  the  next.” 

The  tongue  clicked  against  the  roof  of  the 
mouth  pityingly  ; it  were  as  though  the  coinci- 
dence excited  his  grief. 

“ I have  always  understood  that  you  Americans 


SECRET  AGENT 


191 

were  an  impatient  people.  You  have  the  reputa- 
tion, whether  deserved  or  not,  of  forcing  things 
which  do  not  happen  as  promptly  as  you  would 
have  them.  This  in  itself  is  an  excellent  trait  at 
times,  for  it  saves  one  from  imposition  of  many 
sorts.  But  it  does  not  always  serve.”  Here  Okiu 
turned  and  faced  the  secret  agent.  His  face  was 
as  bland  and  meaningless  as  ever,  and  his  voice 
was  low  pitched  and  gentle,  as  he  proceeded. 
” No,”  said  he,  “ it  does  not  always  serve.  As  it 
has  resulted  in  this  case.  Dr.  Morse  is  dead,  and 
you  have  not  benefited  in  the  least.” 

Ashton-Kirk  looked  at  him  with  steady  eyes ; 
there  was  not  the  slightest  surprise  in  the  secret 
agent’s  face,  and  his  tone  was  unruffled  as  he  re- 
plied : 

” I think  I understand.” 

” I am  quite  sure  that  you  do,”  replied  Okiu, 
with  equal  suavity.  He  resumed  his  seat  at  the 
table ; and  once  more  he  began  lovingly  to  flutter 
the  leaves  of  the  ancient  book.  “That  the 
methods  pursued  in  this  case  should  be  resorted 
to  by  a barbarous  nation,”  said  he,  and  a gleam  of 
mockery  appeared  in  the  slanting  eyes,  “ would 
be  the  expected  thing ; but  that  a Christian  gov- 
ernment should  so  stoop  is  something  of  a sur- 
prise.” 

“ Oh  ! You  were  surprised,  then  ? ” 

“ Only  mildly.  You  see,  I have  been  employed 


ASHTON-KIRK 


192 

upon  many  international  occasions,  and  know  the 
requirements  of  a secret  agent.  When  the  case 
demands  it,  he  does  not  hesitate.  But,”  and  here 
the  smooth  hands  gestured  their  disapproval, 
“this  case  did  not  demand  it.  Nothing  was  to  be 
gained  by  the  mere  death  of  this  Englishman.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded. 

“ In  that,”  said  he,  “ I agree  with  you.” 

“ I do  not  know,”  continued  Okiu,  “ what  put 
you  upon  the  scent,  but  that  a person  possessing 
sufficient  acumen  to  strike  it  at  all  should  at  the 
same  time  be  so  great  a bungler  as  to  do  that,” 
and  one  leveled  finger  indicated  the  Morse  house, 
the  lights  of  which  could  be  seen  through  the  win- 
dow, “ astonishes  me.” 

Ashton-Kirk  bent  the  light  cane  into  a bow 
across  his  knee ; his  expression  was  that  of  a man 
waiting  for  an  expected  something  to  be  said  or 
done.  There  was  now  a pause  of  some  duration. 
Okiu  studied  the  man  before  him  in  the  same  im- 
personal fashion  with  which  a man  studies  a 
mounted  insect,  then  he  resumed: 

“ I have  heard  of  you  very  favorably,  and  had 
counted  upon  one  day  having  the  pleasure  of  test- 
ing myself  against  you  ; but  now  — — ” again  the 
remarkable  hands  gestured,  this  time  to  complete 
the  sentence. 

“ I’m  sorry  you  have  been  disappointed.” 

“ You  are  not  nearly  so  sorry  as  I,  believe  me.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


193 

The  heavy  lids  drooped  over  the  piercing  eyes  in 
a way  which  Ashton- Kirk  had  already  come  to  re- 
gard as  a warning  of  something  ulterior.  “You 
have  been  searching  the  house  ? ” he  asked. 

Ashton-Kirk  laughed  lightly. 

“ Who  has  not  ? ” he  inquired. 

Okiu  joined  in  the  laugh. 

“ It  has  all  been  labor  wasted,”  said  he.  “ Dr. 
Morse  was  not  the  man  to  leave  valuable  property 
lying  about.”  Again  he  regarded  the  secret 
agent  intently,  and  once  more  resumed : “I  sup- 
pose by  this  time  you  have  not  so  much  hope  of 
coming  on  anything  as  you  once  had  ? ” 

Ashton-Kirk  allowed  the  cane  to  spring  back 
straight ; with  a look  of  unconcern  he  made  reply. 

“On  the  contrary,”  said  he,  “I  was  never 
quite  so  sure  as  I am  just  now.” 

Okiu  stared,  and  then  came  slowly  to  his  feet. 

“You  have  found  it?” 

“ No.”  And  Ashton-Kirk  yawned  contentedly. 
“ But  I could  place  my  hands  in  a very  few  mo- 
ments upon  the  person  who  has.” 

At  this  the  palms  of  the  Japanese  came  together 
softly. 

“ Why,”  said  he,  and  his  voice  was  full  of  gen- 
tle surprise,  “ perhaps  I have  been  mistaken  in  my 
opinion  of  you,  after  all.” 

“ Perhaps,”  answered  Ashton-Kirk. 

But  for  all  the  secret  agent’s  seeming  ease  of 


194 


ASHTON-KIRK 


manner,  at  the  soft  slap  of  the  Oriental’s  hands, 
his  every  sense  had  grown  alert ; and  now  his  ear 
caught  a rustling  behind  him  which  said  plainly 
that  some  one  had  stepped  quietly  into  the  room. 
An  instant  later,  a peculiar,  high  scent  as  of  an 
Eastern  oil  reached  his  nostrils ; and  though  he 
did  not  turn  his  head,  he  knew  that  the  newcomer 
was  the  wrestler,  Sorakicha. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


In  The  Dark 

Though  Ashton-Kirk  was  as  sure  Sorakicha 
stood  behind  him  as  he  would  have  been  had  his 
eyes  rested  upon  him,  he  did  not  turn  his  head. 
The  man’s  entrance  had  been  effected  almost  with- 
out sound ; the  rustling  of  the  curtains  had  been 
no  louder  than  a lightly  drawn  breath, 

“ And  now,”  reflected  the  secret  agent,  calmly, 
“he  is  waiting  behind  me  until  he  is  told  what  to 
do.  I trust  that  I shall  be  sufficiently  fortunate  as 
to  catch  the  signal.” 

But  he  continued  to  lounge  back  in  his  chair 
with  crossed  legs,  balancing  the  stick  lightly  be- 
tween his  fingers.  Okiu  stood  regarding  him 
with  careful  attention. 

“ Yes,”  he  continued,  “ I now  see  that  it  is 
probable  that  you  are  what  I have  always  under- 
stood you  to  be — a man  of  exceptional  talents. 
No  one,”  with  a slow  smile,  “ cares  to  admit  that 
he  is  dull  of  perception,  but  I confess,  sir,  that  in 
this  matter,  in  which  I have  been  judging  you,  you 
may  have  been  more  successful  than  I have  im- 
agined.” 

“ It  is  more  or  less  difficult  to  follow  the  work- 
195 


ASHTON-KIRK 


1 96 

ings  of  a mind,  the  owner  of  which  is  not  under 
one’s  immediate  observation,”  returned  Ashton- 
Kirk,  philosophically.  “ So,  looking  at  the  matter 
from  that  point  of  view,  you  have  nothing  to 
chide  yourself  for.” 

But  Okiu  paid  no  attention  to  this  ; apparently 
he  was  grappling  with  a more  concrete  matter. 

“ What  you  have  said  interests  me,”  he  said. 
“ And  so,”  putting  his  hands  upon  the  table,  and 
leaning  across  to  the  other,  “ the  paper  has  been 
found  ? ” 

“ You  might  call  it  finding  it,  if  you  were  at 
loss  for  an  expression,”  replied  Ashton- Kirk. 
“ Though  on  second  thought,  I confess  I should 
apply  another  term,  myself.” 

“ We  will  not  discuss  terms,”  said  Okiu  gently. 
” Let  us  call  the  matter  of  getting  the  desired 
thing  what  you  please  ; there  are  more  important 
matters  to  think  about  just  now.”  He  still  bent 
forward,  his  hands  resting  upon  the  table ; his  ex- 
pressionless face  was  held  close  to  that  of  the 
secret  agent.  “And  so,”  said  he,  “you  could 
place  your  hand  upon  the  person  who  now  has  the 
paper,  could  you  ? That  is  interesting.  And  still 
more  interesting  is  the  fact  that  you  could  do  it  in 
a very  few  moments.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded  and  smiled. 

“ It  gives  us  all  a certain  satisfaction  to  learn 
that  we  are  interesting,”  said  he.  “ This  is  so 


SECRET  AGENT 


197 

almost  at  any  time.  But  at  a moment  like  this — 
when  interest  is  created  m a person  who  had 
utterly  lost  confidence — it  is  doubly  pleasing.” 

“ Perhaps,”  said  Okiu,  and  the  purr  in  his  low- 
pitched  voice  was  more  pronounced  than  the 
secret  agent  had  ever  heard  it  before,  “ you  have 
occasion  for  satisfaction  ; and  then  perhaps  you 
have  not.” 

Ashton-Kirk  met  the  black,  heavy-lidded  eyes 
squarely. 

“Will  you  be  more  explicit  ? ” he  said. 

“ 1 can  see  no  harm  that  it  will  do  now"  said 
the  other,  and  the  secret  agent  quietly  noted  the 
emphasis  which  he  laid  upon  the  last  word.  “ So 
the  facts  are  these.  Though  I regard  you  as  a 
sort  of  fellow  workman,  and  though  I have  a very 
definite  admiration  for  your  talents,  still  your 
interests  are  arrayed,  so  to  speak,  against  mine ; 
and  this  being  the  case ” 

Here  he  paused.  The  glittering  eyes  lifted  and 
darted  a look  over  Ashton-Kirk’s  shoulder  to  the 
waiting  Sorakicha.  But  even  then  the  other 
maintained  his  lounging  attitude  and  his  manner 
remained  unruffled. 

“Well?”  said  he,  inquiringly. 

“ This  being  the  case,”  said  Okiu,  smoothly,  “ I 
have  thought  it  best  to ” 

One  of  the  supple  hands  began  to  rise  ; as  it 
stirred,  Ashton-Kirk  launched  a kick  at  the  table 


ASHTON-KIRK 


198 

which  threw  it  against  the  Oriental  and  drove  him 
back  several  steps.  At  the  same  instant  as  he 
delivered  the  kick,  the  secret  agent  bent  low  and 
leaped  forward.  The  great  arms  of  the  wrestler 
closed  above  the  chair  upon  empty  space ; then 
the  light  cane  swished  through  the  air  ; the  globes 
of  the  cluster  of  lights  which  had  hung  over  the 
table  fell  in  a shower  of  fragments,  and  instantly 
the  room  was  plunged  into  darkness. 

Softly,  and  with  the  catlike  quickness  of  Sora- 
kicha  himself,  the  secret  agent  gained  the  door. 
He  had  fixed  its  location  in  his  mind,  and  so  had 
no  trouble  finding  it  in  the  dark.  It  opened  as 
he  turned  the  knob  ; the  hall  too  was  dark,  and 
he  slipped  into  it,  closing  the  door  behind  him. 

Carefully,  but  with  some  speed,  he  passed  along 
the  hall,  his  hands  outstretched  like  the  antennae 
of  an  insect.  From  the  room  which  he  had  just 
left  came  the  sounds  of  stumbling  feet  and  the 
confused  outcries  of  angry  men. 

Just  as  the  door  was  thrown  open,  Ashton-Kirk 
felt  his  hand  touch  the  stair-rail ; and  he  softly 
descended  as  the  feet  of  the  two  Japanese  sounded 
in  the  hall  behind  him.  The  lower  hall  was  also 
dark  ; but  through  a fanlight  he  caught  the  gleam 
of  a street  lamp. 

“ The  front  door,”  he  told  himself,  as  he  care- 
fully made  his  way  toward  it.  But  it  was  fast. 
Up  and  down  its  edges  ran  his  fingers  ; but  there 


SECRET  AGENT 


199 


was  no  bar,  chain  nor  catch  ; the  bolt  of  the  lock 
was  shot,  and  the  key  had  been  removed.  He 
turned  with  his  back  to  the  door  and  listened  ; 
the  Orientals  were  stealing  down  the  stairs. 

For  the  second  time  that  night  his  hand  went 
into  the  outside  coat  pocket  in  search  of  the 
pistol.  But,  this  time,  when  the  hand  slipped 
from  the  pocket,  the  weapon  came  with  it. 
Silently  he  stood  there  in  the  shadows  that  lurked 
beneath  the  fanlight ; the  creeping  sounds  from 
the  staircase  continued  and  then  paused.  There 
was  complete  silence. 

“ They  are  listening,”  was  Ashton-Kirk’s 
thought.  ” They  think  that  the  fanlight  may  have 
attracted  me,  and  desire  to  make  sure.” 

At  any  moment  he  expected  a flare  of  light,  but 
none  came ; neither  did  he  hear  any  further 
sounds.  He  held  the  pistol  hand  close  to  his 
body,  the  muzzle  commanding  the  hall ; the  fact 
that  ten  grim,  copper-clad  servants  of  death  stood 
between  him  and  his  foes  was  reassuring,  and  he 
continued  to  await  the  development  of  the  situa- 
tion. 

For  a long  time  there  was  silence ; then  he 
heard  the  creeping  resumed  ; his  jaw  tightened 
and  his  grip  upon  the  pistol  butt  grew  more  rigid. 
But  another  instant  told  him  something  else.  The 
Japanese  were  not  advancing  as  he  had  expected  ; 
instead  they  were  retreating  along  the  upper  hall. 


200 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ They  have  made  up  their  minds  to  the  situ- 
ation,” was  Ashton-Kirk’s  explanation.  “ And  as 
facing  a stream  of  bullets  does  not  enter  into  their 
calculations,  they  are  about  to  try  something  else.” 

This  latter,  of  course,  would  be  based  upon  his 
remaining  where  he  was ; and  at  once  he  took 
steps  toward  the  confusion  of  things  by  also  mov- 
ing along  the  hall  in  the  same  direction  as  the 
others.  He  had  noticed  upon  his  entrance  to  the 
house  that  the  hall  was  almost  bare  of  furniture, 
so  there  was  small  danger  of  his  colliding  with 
anything.  Little  by  little  he  went  on  ; now  and 
then  he  paused  and  listened  intently.  But  there 
was  no  sound,  however  slight.  At  length  his  hands 
touched  a smooth  surface.  It  was  a door ; cau- 
tiously he  turned  the  knob  and  opened  it.  The 
room  before  him  was  as  dark  as  the  hall ; and  he 
halted  with  the  door  only  a few  inches  ajar,  peer- 
ing within. 

“ It’s  a room  on  the  north  side,  and  well  toward 
the  rear,”  passed  through  his  mind,  ” and  it’s  only 
natural  to  suppose  that  there  are  windows  in  it. 
The  blinds  must  be  tightly  drawn,  for  I can’t  make 
out  even  a glimmer  of  light.” 

He  waited  a little,  his  pistol  held  ready,  then 
he  stepped  into  the  room.  The  first  thing  that 
attracted  him  was  a thin,  bright  line  which  ap- 
parently lay  upon  the  floor  at  his  right.  He 
studied  this  for  a moment  and  then  it  occurred  to 


SECRET  AGENT 


201 


him  what  it  was.  There  was  a light  in  an  adjoin- 
ing room,  and  the  rays  were  seeping  under  the 
door.  Again  he  waited,  and  listened.  It  had  been 
his  purpose  to  locate  a window,  unfasten  it,  and  so 
make  his  way  to  the  open  air ; but  the  light  in  the 
room  beyond  indicated  the  presence  of  some  one  so 
close  at  hand  as  to  make  this  proceeding  perilous. 

But  as  no  sound  came  from  the  lighted  room, 
he  made  up  his  mind  to  venture  nearer.  He  had 
taken  but  one  step,  however,  when  a board  creaked 
behind  him  in  the  darkness.  Poised  for  the  next 
step  he  halted  and  again  stood  listening.  Nothing 
followed,  and  the  breath  slowly  exhaled  from  his 
lungs,  his  flexed  muscles  relaxed,  and  he  settled 
back  upon  his  feet  for  another  spell  of  silence. 
He  had  just  about  made  up  his  mind  that  the 
creak  had  been  caused  by  himself,  when  he  became 
aware  of  another  and  barely  discernible  sound.  It 
was  soft  and  hissing,  a sort  of  rubbing,  as  though 
one  smoothly-surfaced  thing  were  drawn  across 
another.  Like  a flash  the  secret  agent  realized 
what  it  was.  Some  one  stood  in  the  doorway 
with  his  hands  outstretched,  as  his  own  had  been, 
and  it  was  their  contact  with  the  door  frame  that 
made  the  sound. 

Then  there  came  a step,  slow,  careful,  light ; a 
pause  followed  and  then  the  unknown’s  breathing 
could  be  distinctly  heard.  Another  step  followed, 
cautious,  muffled,  secret ; and  again  came  the  pause 


202 


ASHTON-KIRK 


The  grip  of  the  secret  agent  tightened  upon  the 
pistol ; he  faced  about  softly  to  meet  the  newcomer, 
whom  a few  steps  would  bring  to  his  side. 

But  now  the  steps  ceased,  and  though  he 
listened  with  eager  ears,  Ashton-Kirk  failed  to 
note  their  resumption.  This  struck  him  as  odd  ; 
there  had  been  no  sound,  nothing  that  could  have 
startled  the  other  into  a longer  pause  than  for- 
merly ; and  yet  that  he  was  standing  stock-still 
somewhere  in  the  darkness  was  unquestionable. 
Then  like  lightning  it  occurred  to  Ashton-Kirk 
why  this  was.  Judging  from  the  footfalls,  he 
stood  between  the  unknown  and  the  door  under 
which  crept  the  line  of  light ; and  the  break  in  this 
line,  caused  by  his  intervening  feet,  had  caught 
the  other’s  attention. 

Gradually  the  secret  agent  became  aware  of  the 
unknown’s  breathing ; at  first  it  was  scarcely 
discernible,  but  little  by  little  it  grew  in  rapidity 
and  harshness ; it  became  labored,  straining  and 
drawn  with  increasing  difficulty ; as  plainly  as 
words  could  have  done  it,  it  spoke  of  mounting 
excitement  and  a quickly  forming  purpose. 

The  automatic  pistol  began  to  lift — but  too  late. 
Like  a wild  beast  the  unknown  leaped  through 
the  darkness,  and  a pair  of  long  powerful  arms 
enwrapped  the  secret  agent.  The  pistol  fell  to 
the  floor,  and  there  began  a desperate  struggle 
for  the  mastery.  By  a few  swift  twists  and  the 


SECRET  AGENT 


203 

free  use  of  his  knee,  Ashton-Kirk  managed  to  free 
his  arms  which  had  been  pinioned  at  his  sides ; 
then  he  drove  one  elbow  into  his  opponent’s  neck, 
and  they  went  reeling  blindly  about. 

There  was  a moment  of  this,  then  the  attack  of 
the  unknown  abated ; it  were  as  though  he  had 
felt  his  adversary  out  and  found  him  rather  more 
than  a match.  And  with  this  discovery  came  new 
tactics.  Ashton-Kirk  felt  the  rugged  grasp  grow 
still  slacker ; one  hand  slipped  away  altogether. 
This  could  mean  only  that  it  was  feeling  in  unseen 
pockets  for  a weapon ; and  upon  this  the  secret 
agent  began  to  fight  silently,  swiftly,  desperately. 

A series  of  short  jarring  blows  drove  the  other 
back ; a short  powerful  lock  lifted  him  from  his 
feet.  But  with  a frenzied  wrench  the  man  broke 
the  hold,  and  as  he  did  so  they  both  fell  with  their 
full  weight  against  the  door  under  which  the  light 
was  shining.  It  gave  way  with  a crash,  and  a 
flood  of  illumination  poured  upon  them. 

And  with  the  first  flash  of  it,  Ashton-Kirk  saw  a 
hand  armed  with  a “billy”  lifted  to  strike  him  ; 
and  behind  it  was  the  white,  desperate  face  of  the 
man  who  had  followed  him  into  the  room — the 
face  of  Philip  Warwick.  And  as  recognition  came, 
the  wrist  bent  with  a quick  practised  jerk,  the 
leather-covered  lead  descended,  and  Ashton-Kirk 
fell  prone  upon  the  floor. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


The  Silhouettes 

When  one  wakes  from  a heavy,  unsatisfyingf 
sleep,  it  is  with  a vague  memory  of  flitting 
shadows,  of  empty  spaces,  of  strange  deeds  and 
peculiar  sayings.  There  is  also  a painful  sort  of 
lethargy  and  an  odd  sense  of  personal  defeat  which 
is  peculiarly  annoying. 

It  was  with  some  such  feeling  as  this  that  Ash- 
ton-Kirk  opened  his  eyes.  The  first  person  whom 
he  saw  was  old  Nanon,  and  she  was  bathing  his 
head  with  cold  water.  Near  at  hand  stood  Drev- 
enoff ; and  seated  by  a table  was  Stella  Corbin. 

“ So,”  said  the  old  servant  in  a gentle  tone  that 
he  had  not  yet  heard  her  speak,  you  are  better.” 

The  secret  agent  sat  up  ; his  head  felt  strangely 
light,  and  there  was  a sharp,  shooting  pain  across 
his  scalp.  But,  for  all,  there  was  a smile  upon  his 
face. 

“I  will  not  pattern  by  the  young  lady  in  the 
novel  or  the  play  and  inquire  where  I am,”  said 
he.  “ But  I will  ask,”  and  he  looked  from  one  to 
the  other,  “ how  I happened  to  get  here.” 

The  old  woman  gestured  toward  the  Pole. 

204 


SECRET  AGENT 


205 

“ Drevenoff  found  you  lying  upon  the  back 
lawn,  unconscious,  less  than  a quarter  of  an  hour 
ago,”  she  said. 

The  young  man  nodded. 

“ I did  not  recognize  you  at  first,”  said  he  ; “I 
thought  it  was  some  one  who  had  wandered  in 
and  fallen  there.  But  when  Nanon  came  with  the 
light,  we  knew  you  at  once.” 

“ And  a good  thing  it  was  that  he  came  upon 
you,”  said  the  old  servant,  shaking  her  gray  head. 
“You  might  have  bled  to  death.” 

There  was  a moment's  silence  ; then  Drevenoff 
asked,  curiously : 

“ What  happened  to  you  ? — and  how  did  you 
come  to  this  ? ” 

The  secret  agent  smiled. 

“ I was  making  a call,”  said  he,  “ and  my  pres- 
ence was  evidently  not  altogether  appreciated.” 

Though  they  waited  for  more,  still  he  stopped 
at  that ; and  raising  his  hand  he  felt  of  a wet 
bandage  which  was  drawn  tightly  about  his  head. 
Stella  Corbin  during  the  above  had  sat  quite  still ; 
her  dark  eyes  were  fixed  steadily  upon  him  ; their 
expression  was, strange  and  full  of  speculation. 

“ It  is  queer  how  things  chance  at  times,”  spoke 
Drevenoff,  addressing  Nanon.  “If  Miss  Corbin 
had  not  asked  me  to  go  to  the  city  for  her  to- 
night, I should  not  have  gone  out ; and  if  I had 
not  gone  out,  I should  not  have  found  him.” 


ASHTON-KIRK 


) 206 

But  the  old  woman  paid  no  attention  to  the  lat* 
ter  part  of  his  speech.  She  gazed  at  him  for  a 
moment : then  her  eyes  shifted  to  the  girl. 

“You  are  sending  him  to  the  city,  then  ?”  she 
said. 

“ Yes,”  answered  Stella  Corbin. 

“ Why  ? ” 

At  this  question  the  girl  appeared  to  stiffen  ; it 
seemed  as  though  a curt  rejoinder  was  upon  her 
tongue.  But,  then,  she  changed  her  mind. 

“ There  is  an  errand  that  I desired  him  to  do,” 
she  replied,  meekly  enough. 

The  gray  eyes  searched  her  face  from  beneath 
the  craggy  brows ; the  thin  lips  were  set  in  their 
hard,  straight  line. 

“ There  will  be  no  more  trains  back  to-night,” 
she  said.  “ He  cannot  return  before  morning.” 

“ I know,”  replied  the  girl. 

“ Can  the  matter  not  wait  until  then  ? 

Stella  Corbin  arose. 

“ That  I wish  him  to  go  to-night  should  be 
enough,”  she  said,  coldly.  Then  turning  to  the 
young  Pole,  she  added,  “ You  remember  my  in- 
structions ? ” 

“Yes,  Miss  Corbin.” 

“ Then  go  at  once  ; the  train  will  reach  here  be- 
fore many  more  minutes,  and  you  must  not  miss 
it.” 

Drevenofi  took  his  hat  and  went  out  without 


SECRET  AGENT 


207 

any  further  words.  And  as  the  door  dosed  after 
him,  Ashton-Kirk  arose,  rather  unsteadily. 

“ If  that  is  the  last  train  to  the  city,”  he  said  to 
Stella,  “ I fear  that  I,  also,  must  make  it.” 

The  girl  inclined  her  head  ever  so  little,  but 
said  nothing.  However,  the  old  servant  spoke. 

“It  is  a good  walk  to  the  station,”  she  said, 
“ and  hurt  as  you  are  you  could  not  get  there  in 
time.  Another  thing,  it  is  much  better  that  you 
should  rest  for  a little.  To  exert  yourself  now 
might  start  your  wound  bleeding  once  more,  as  I 
have  not  yet  properly  bandaged  it.” 

“You  may  be  right,”  said  the  secret  agent,  and 
his  eyes  sought  those  of  the  girl.  But  if  he  ex- 
pected her  to  agree  with  the  old  servant  he  was 
much  mistaken  ; her  face  was  set,  and  rather 
pale ; her  hands,  as  she  trifled  with  a brooch  at 
her  throat,  trembled. 

There  was  a pause  ; then,  as  she  did  not  speak, 
the  old  servant,  who  had  been  watching  her 
fixedly,  said  : 

“ Miss  Corbin  will  be  pleased  to  have  you  stay 
until  morning,  of  course.” 

Still  the  girl’s  expression  did  not  change,  and 
still  she  said  nothing. 

“ In  that  case,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  quietly,  “ I 
will  venture  to  trespass  upon  her  kindness.  I 
confess  that  I feel  somewhat  shaky,  and  a night’s 
rest  may  help  me  wonderfully.” 


2o8 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ It  will,”  said  Nanon,  but  never  taking  her 
eyes  from  the  girl’s  face ; “ sleep  brings  the 
strength  back  to  one.  And  then,”  her  tone 
changing,  “ it  will  be  so  much  safer  to  have  a 
man  about  the  place — even  though  a sick  one. 
Now  that  Drevenoff  is  gone  for  the  night,  we 
should  have  been  alone.” 

Again  there  was  a pause  ; then ; 

“ I dare  say  we  should  have  managed,”  said 
Stella.  Her  manner  had  suddenly  changed,  and 
her  tone  was  even  light ; she  smiled  as  she  turned 
to  Ashton-Kirk  and  added  : “ Of  course  we  must 

not  turn  you  away ; and  you  are  very  welcome 
indeed.  Please  do  not  think  me  strange ; but  so 
many  things  have  happened  of  late  that  I am  not 
altogether  myself.”  Here  she  turned  to  old 
Nanon,  the  smile  upon  her  white  face  forced  and 
pathetic.  ” Of  course  we  should  need  a protector. 
I had  not  thought  of  that.  But  you,  Nanon,”  and 
the  look  in  the  great,  dark  eyes  was  unfathoma- 
ble, “ you  think  of  everything.” 

“ It  is  not  that,”  replied  the  servant  woman, 
meaningly.  ” It  is  that  I do  not  forget.” 

The  eyes  of  the  two  were  fixed  upon  and  held 
each  other  steadily  for  a moment ; and  Ashton- 
Kirk,  as  he  sat  and  quietly  watched,  smiled  and 
seemed  to  fall  to  pondering. 

After  a few  more  remarks  of  a general  and  im- 
personal nature  addressed  to  the  secret  agent.  Miss 


SECRET  AGENT 


209 


Corbin  left  the  room  ; old  Nanon  stood  for  some 
moments  gazing  at  the  closed  door  through  which 
the  girl  had  passed  ; then  she  turned  to  the  table 
and  began  stripping  up  some  bandages  and  pre- 
paring a lotion  for  the  guest’s  wounded  head. 

“ You  are  not  to  think  her  strange,”  she  said  in 
a low  tone,  “ because  so  many  things  have  hap- 
pened of  late  that  she  is  not  herself.”  The  keen 
old  eyes  turned  on  Ashton-Kirk  a look  of  signifi- 
cance, and  she  nodded  her  head.  “ Many  things 
have  happened  of  late,”  she  commented ; ” so 
many  that  I have  often  wondered  if  there  were 
not  more  of  them  than  I have  seen.  And  who 
knows  if  she  is  now  herself,  or  no  ? Indeed,  per- 
haps I now  see  her  true  self  for  the  first  time.” 

She  removed  the  wet  pack  from  his  head  and 
carefully  cleaned  the  wound. 

“ It  is  not  more  than  a deep  scratch,”  she  said, 
" but  it  bled  a great  deal,  and  so  weakened  you. 
To-morrow  it  may  feel  stiff,  and  you  may  have  a 
headache ; but  that  will  be  all.” 

Quickly,  and  with  admirable  skill,  she  put  the 
bandages  in  place.  When  it  was  done  he  sur- 
veyed himself  ruefully  in  a mirror. 

“ With  that,”  remarked  he,  “ there  is  nothing 
left  for  me  but  my  room.  So  if  you  will  show  me 
there,  I shall  be  obliged  to  you.” 

She  led  the  way  to  the  stairs,  opened  a door 
upon  the  second  floor  and  then  halted. 


210 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ I beg  your  pardon,  sir,”  she  said,  " but  I shall 
have  to  go  for  a match,  I can  never  remember.” 

He  produced  a metal  safe  and  struck  a match. 
She  took  it  from  him,  and  entering  the  room, 
turned  on  and  lighted  the  gas. 

“ There  is  no  wiring  above  the  first  floor,”  she 
said,  in  explanation  ; “ and  I find  it  confusing  at 
times.”  She  went  from  one  thing  to  another,  see- 
ing that  all  was  right.  “ The  room  is  small,”  she 
continued,  “ but  I think  you  will  find  it  comforta- 
ble. And  right  behind  it,”  opening  another  door, 
” there  is  another  room,  sir,  with  fine  large  win- 
dows in  case  this  should  get  too  stuffy  for  you  in 
the  night.  You  can  open  the  door  and  the  back 
window,  and  so  get  plenty  of  air  and  no  direct 
draught.” 

Ashton-Kirk  thanked  her  and  she  went  out.  He 
took  off  his  coat,  sat  down  in  a big  cane  chair  and 
leaned  his  wounded  head  against  a cushion. 

“ Rather  a night,”  said  he  to  himself.  “Things 
seem  to  have  crowded  upon  me  in  a rather  unex- 
pected sort  of  a way.  And  this  knock  on  the 
head  has  not  just  helped  to  make  it  all  clear, 
either.” 

The  events  of  the  night,  from  the  moment  he 
rang  the  bell  at  Okiu’s  house,  began  to  pass 
through  his  mind  in  a sort  of  review  ; then,  little 
by  little,  they  grew  hazy  and  indistinct ; one 
seemed  to  melt  into  another  in  an  unnaturally 


SECRET  AGENT 


21  I 


complete  and  satisfactory  manner,  and  he  found 
himself  accepting  weird  conclusions  with  the 
cheerful  ease  of  a man  falling  asleep. 

He  may  have  remained  so  in  the  chair  for  an 
hour ; it  may  have  been  longer.  At  any  rate  he 
awoke  at  last  with  his  head  throbbing  painfully. 
He  sat  for  some  moments  gazing  at  the  flaring 
gaslight ; then  he  heard  a clock  from  somewhere 
in  the  house  strike  once.  He  glanced  at  his  watch. 

“ One-thirty,”  he  said.  “ Phew  ! I’ve  got  a 
long  night  to  put  in.” 

He  got  up  and  looked  at  the  bed.  But  there 
was  nothing  inviting  about  it ; all  desire  for  sleep 
seemed  to  have  deserted  him.  As  Nanon  had 
suggested,  the  room  had  grown  stuffy ; and  so  he 
passed  into  the  rear  apartment  and  lifted  the  win- 
dow. The  stars  still  burnt  palely  in  the  sky  as 
they  had  some  hours  before  when  he  looked  at 
them  from  the  window  of  Okiu’s  house ; small, 
swift-moving  clouds  were  shifting  across  their 
faces  ; and  all  about  was  dark  and  still  and  mys- 
terious. 

But  the  night  air  was  cool  and  he  stood  drink- 
ing it  in  for  a time,  and  gazing  down  toward  the 
dark  loom  made  by  the  house  of  the  Japanese  at 
the  far  end  of  the  open  space.  No  light,  no  move- 
ment came  from  that  direction.  It  was  for  all  the 
world  like  a place  deserted. 

At  this  thought  the  secret  agent  smiled. 


212 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ That  is  the  second  time  I’ve  thought  that 
same  thing  to-night.  But  not  a great  deal  of 
movement  or  light  is  to  be  expected  of  any  dwell- 
ing at  this  hour,”  he  said  to  himself.  “ However, 
I should  not  be  surprised  if  deserted  were  now  the 
right  word,  after  all.” 

He  had  closed  the  door  leading  into  the  bed- 
room, and  so  all  w'as  darkness  in  the  apartment  in 
w'hich  he  stood.  The  quiet  pleased  him,  and  the 
cool  air  felt  grateful  upon  his  aching  head  and  so 
he  remained  at  the  window  for  some  time. 

Then,  suddenly,  there  came  something  like  a 
dim  burst  of  light.  An  instant  served  to  show 
him  its  nature  ; upon  the  lawn  was  sharply  silhou- 
etted the  outline  of  a window,  with  a blind  but  a 
few  inches  drawn. 

“ Some  one  in  the  hall,”  he  said  to  himself,  “ and 
he  has  lighted  the  gas.” 

Curiously  he  gazed  at  the  illuminated  square 
upon  the  grass  below ; the  sash  and  even  the 
swinging  cord  of  the  blind  were  sharply  outlined. 
But,  as  he  looked,  a figure  partially  filled  in  the 
square — the  figure  of  a woman,  small,  delicate 
and  exceedingly  graceful.  Her  back  was,  ap- 
parently, turned  to  the  window,  and  she  was  wav- 
ing one  hand  in  a beckoning  motion  as  though  to 
some  one  further  along  the  hall.  Then  a second 
figure  appeared,  and  the  two  silhouetted  heads 
bent  together  in  earnest  conference. 


SECRET  AGENT  213 

“ So  ! ” said  Ashton-Kirk,  softly.  “ I understood 
that  with  Drevenoff  gone  to  the  city  I was  the 
only  man  in  the  house.  But  I see  now  that  there 
was  a mistake  somewhere.” 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


Gone! 

The  words  of  old  Nanon,  spoken  only  a few 
hours  before,  came  back  to  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ It  will  be  so  much  safer  to  have  a man  about 
the  place,  even  though  a sick  one,”  she  had  said. 
“ Now  that  Drevenoff  is  gone  for  the  night,  we 
should  have  been  alone.” 

The  two  shadows  remained  with  heads  held 
close  together  for  some  little  time.  It  was  plain 
to  be  seen  that  the  woman  was  doing  the  greater 
part  of  the  talking ; the  man  gestured  now  and 
then  as  though  in  protest. 

“ She  is  urging  him  to  something  which  he  does 
not  fancy,”  thought  the  secret  agent,  his  keen  eyes 
not  missing  a movement.  “ And,  as  his  denials 
constantly  grow  fainter,  and  her  urging  more  in- 
sistent, I think  she  will  finally  have  her  way.” 

Fancifully  the  two  silhouettes  went  through 
their  parts  within  the  lighted  square  as  cast  by  the 
gaslight  upon  the  lawn.  The  woman  pleaded 
and  demanded ; the  man  resisted  with  wide  ges- 
tures and  violently  shaken  head. 

But,  as  the  secret  agent  had  told  himself,  the 
woman  proved  herself  the  stronger  in  the  end, 

214 


SECRET  AGENT  215 

Sharp,  imperious,  even  threatening  grew  her 
manner ; and  the  man’s  protests  died,  his  head 
ceased  to  shake,  until  finally  his  gestures  were  in- 
quiring only,  as  of  one  who  consents  and  desires 
only  to  know  the  best  way  of  going  about  the 
matter  in  hand. 

At  this  stage  the  shadow  of  the  woman  became 
still  for  the  first  time  since  it  had  appeared.  It 
were  as  though  she  were  endeavoring  to  recall 
something,  or  devise  a plan.  Then  with  an  im- 
patient gesture  she  snatched  at  a hand-bag  which 
hung  upon  her  arm  and  seemed  about  to  open  it. 
But  with  a contemptuous  sweep  of  the  hand  the 
man  waved  it  aside. 

Again  the  two  began  their  mute  debate.  This 
time  it  was  the  man  who  took  the  initiative  ; she 
had  failed  when  she  came  to  the  carrying  out  of 
what  she  desired;  apparently  she  had  no  clear 
conception  of  the  thing  she  wanted  done,  and  he 
was  reproaching  her  for  it. 

But  in  the  midst  of  this  she  stopped  him.  Her 
hand  darted  out,  and  from  the  wall  she  drew 
something,  the  shadow  of  which  was  so  fine  that 
Ashton-Kirk  could,  not,  at  first,  even  guess  as  to 
its  nature.  But  the  way  it  swung  out  at  her  touch 
finally  gave  him  a clue. 

“ A folding  gas  fixture,”  said  he,  softly. 

Once  more  the  girl  took  the  aggressive ; she 
gestured  sharply  and  indicated  frequently  a point 


2i6 


ASHTON-KIRK 


upon  her  left,  some  distance  along  the  hall,  and 
apparently  a little  above  her  head.  The  silhouette 
of  the  man  remained  motionless  ; what  he  heard 
was  evidently  bearing  in  upon  him  ; his  whole  at- 
titude seemed  to  say  : “ Here  at  last  is  something 
worth  consideration.” 

Then  there  was  a pause ; the  woman  also  be- 
came still ; it  were  as  though  the  two  were  meas- 
uring each  other’s  strength.  At  length  the  man 
stepped  toward  the  gas  fixture,  the  woman  drew 
back,  and  as  she  did  so  her  hands  went  to  her  face 
as  though  she  would  shut  out  something  repel- 
lent. With  a handkerchief,  the  man  brushed 
away  any  possible  dust  from  the  gas-burner  ; then 
he  reached  toward  where  the  valve  should  be,  and 
the  half  twist  of  his  hand  indicated  that  he  had 
turned  on  the  gas. 

Then  the  man  seemed  to  be  gathering  himself 
for  an  effort ; he  applied  his  lips  to  the  burner  and 
remained  motionless  and  tense ; suddenly  the 
picture  upon  the  lawn  dimmed  and  then  vanished 
entirely. 

For  an  instant  Ashton- Kirk  remained  looking 
out  upon  the  now  inky  night ; if  one  could  have 
observed  his  face,  a smile  would  have  been  seen  ; 
but  a smile  that  would  not  have  been  an  al- 
together pleasant  one. 

“ It  is  not  the  most  comforting  thing  in  the 
world,”  he  mused,  “ to  have  one  person  beckon 


SECRET  AGENT 


217 

another  along'  a deserted  hall  in  the  small  hours 
of  the  morning,  have  the  couple  pause  almost 
outside  one’s  door  and  then  confer  as  to  the  most 
effective  means  of  taking  one’s  life.  And  that  the 
one — a woman — should  be  so  urgent  in  the  matter 
is  particularly  distressing.”  He  turned  from  the 
window  and  faced  toward  the  closed  door  of  his 
bedroom.  “ And  a ready-witted  young  lady  she 
is,”  he  went  on.  “ How  very  quick  she  was  to 
note  that  the  gas  was  burning  in  my  room ; and 
what  an  instant  and  murderous  idea  at  once  took 
possession  of  her.  To  blow  into  an  open  gas- 
burner  means  that  every  jet  upon  the  same  line  of 
pipe  will  go  out  as  soon  as  the  injected  air  instead 
of  the  gas  begins  to  flow  through  the  burners. 
About  now  I shall  find  the  light  out  in  my  room 
and,”  here  he  opened  the  bedroom  door,  saw  that 
it  was  in  complete  darkness  and  stood  sniffing  the 
air  upon  the  threshold,  “ yes,  the  gas  is  pouring 

from  the  open  burner.  If  I had  been  asleep ” 

The  apartment  was  thick  with  the  overpower- 
ing fumes  ; he  softly  raised  the  windows  and 
closed  the  valve.  It  would  have  seemed  natural 
for  a man  so  circumstanced  to  have  taken  some 
steps  to  identify  and  apprehend  those  who  have 
made  so  murderous  an  attempt ; but  if  this  thought 
occurred  to  Ashton-Kirk  he  made  no  attempt  to 
carry  it  out.  However,  another  idea  occurred  to 
him. 


2i8 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ The  old  woman  said  that  there  were  nothing' 
but  gaslights  above  the  first  floor.  If  another  jet 
should  be  open  in  an  occupied  bedroom,  there  is 
still  danger  of  a life  being  taken.” 

With  this  in  his  mind  he  pulled  on  his  coat  and 
opened  the  hall  door.  There  were  no  fumes  in 
the  hall,  and  this  showed  that  the  burners  here 
had  been  closed  before  the  two  had  stolen  away. 
He  took  out  a match  and  was  feeling  for  the 
nearest  of  the  hall  jets  when  a sound  from  the 
lower  floor  reached  him.  It  was  a continued, 
grating  sort  of  noise,  as  though  a cautious  person 
were  drawing  a refractory  bolt.  He  paused,  his 
groping  hand  still  outstretched,  and  listened  with 
attention.  The  subdued  squeaking  ceased,  there 
was  a pause,  then  the  street  door  opened  and 
closed.  He  took  a step  or  two  toward  the  main 
staircase,  and  again  he  halted.  Another  sound 
came  from  below,  the  distinct,  heavy  sounds  of 
falling  objects  striking  the  floor.  Then  came  a 
shjill  cry. 

Like  a shadow  he  slipped  along  the  intervening 
space,  and  down  the  stairs.  The  lower  hall  was 
also  dark ; but  there  was  a light  in  the  library,  and 
he  gained  the  door  at  a bound. 

Old  Nanon,  dressed  as  he  had  seen  her  when 
she  showed  him  to  his  room,  stood  in  the  center 
of  the  library.  In  her  hand  she  held  a large  brass 
candlestick ; scattered  upon  the  floor  were  a num- 


SECRET  AGENT 


219 

ber  of  articles  of  bric-a-brac  which  had  apparently 
rested  upon  a shelf  at  one  side. 

Slowly  the  woman  turned  her  gaze  from  the 
candlestick  to  the  secret  agent ; her  face  was  rigid 
and  a yellowish  white ; the  gray  eyes  were  hard 
as  flint. 

“ Ah,  it  is  you,”  she  said  in  a sort  of  subdued 
monotone.  “ I had  forgotten  about  you.” 

“ What  has  happened  ? ” asked  Ashton- Kirk. 

The  eyes  of  the  servant  woman  once  more 
returned  to  the  candlestick,  but  she  made  no 
answer. 

” I heard  some  one  cry  out,”  said  the  secret 
agent,  his  glance  going  about  the  room  in  its 
searching  way. 

Nanon  nodded  her  head. 

“Yes,”  she  returned,  “you  heard  some  one  cry 
out.  It  was  I.” 

“ What  has  occurred  ? ” 

Once  more  the  stern  old  eyes  sought  his  face  ; 
and  she  said : 

“ She  has  gone.” 

“ Who  has  gone  ? ” 

“ Miss  Stella.” 

Ashton- Kirk  thought  of  the  creaking  bolt  and 
the  closing  street  door  ; and  his  voice  was  pitched 
sharply  when  he  again  asked  the  question  : 

“ What  has  occurred  ? ” 

The  old  servant  placed  the  brass  candlestick 


220 


ASHTON-KIRK 


upon  one  of  the  desks ; she  rubbed  her  hatxds 
secretively  Avith  a corner  of  her  apron  while  she 
said  : 

“ I have  told  you  what  I fear  ; I have  been  as 
plain  as  one  can  be  who  has  no  proof.  And  as 
the  hours  passed  I have  grown  more  and  more 
suspicious.  Not  one  movement  did  this  girl  make 
that  my  eyes  were  not  on  her ; not  one  word  did 
she  speak  that  I was  not  seeking  behind  it  for 
some  hidden  meaning. 

“ To-night,  as  you  know,  she  sent  Drevenofi  to 
the  city.  It  was  something  of  which  I had  heard 
nothing  until  the  young  man  spoke.  What  was 
this  urgent  thing  that  could  not  wait  until  morning  ? 
Why  would  not  the  telephone  or  telegraph  do  as 
well  as  a messenger?  I did  not  understand  it. 
And  then  she  did  not  care  to  have  you  stay  here 
to-night ; that  was  very  plain — you  must  have 
noticed  it.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded. 

” Go  on,”  said  he. 

” It  does  not  need  a great  deal  to  make  me 
suspicious,”  resumed  the  old  woman ; ” and  her 
manner  to-night  aroused  me  to  wonder  if  there 
were  not  something  afoot  of  which  I knew  nothing. 
So  Vv^hen  I went  to  my  room  I put  out  the  light, 
left  the  door  ajar  and  sat  listening.  After  a long 
time  I knew  there  was  a light  in  the  hall  below ; I 
stole  out  and  bent  over  the  rail  and  listened.  There 


SECRET  AGENT 


221 


was  whispering,  but  I could  catch  no  words.  Then 
I heard  some  one  descending  the  lower  staircase  ; 
and  so  I stole  down  to  the  second  floor.  From  the 
head  of  the  stairs  I watched  once  more ; then  I saw 
the  light  go  up  here  in  the  library. 

“ I had  already  started  to  descend  when  Miss 
Stella  appeared  in  the  library  doorway — and  in 
her  hand  she  held,”  the  speaker  pointed  at  the 
desk,  “ that  candlestick.” 

Here  the  old  woman  paused ; and  the  secret 
agent,  watching  her  face,  saw  the  yellowish  white 
change  to  gray. 

“ Well  ? ” said  he. 

“ She  looked  along  the  hall  as  if  afraid  of  being 
seen,”  said  the  woman  ; “ and  all  the  time  her 
fingers  were  picking — picking  at  something  in  the 
socket  of  the  candlestick.  She  was  just  turning 
back  into  the  room  when  she  drew  something  out, 
looked  at  it  and  hid  it  in  her  glove.  Then  the  light 
went  out  and  I heard  the  bolt  being  drawn.  I 
rushed  down  the  stairs,  but  I was  too  late.  The 
door  opened  and  closed  ; I turned  on  the  lights,  but 
she  was  gone.” 

For  a moment  Ashton-Kirk  stood  studying  the 
woman’s  face  ; then  he  stepped  quickly  to  the  desk 
and  took  up  the  candlestick.  Something  in  the 
deep  socket  of  this  seemed  to  attract  him  and  he 
turned  on  more  lights.  Under  a cluster  of  incan- 
descents  he  bent  over  the  candlestick  and  examined 


222 


ASHTON-KIRK 


it  minutely ; then  the  magnifying  lens  came  into 
play  as  it  had  upon  the  broken  knob  of  the  high- 
boy. One  glance  through  this  and  he  sprang  to  the 
street  door.  The  next  instant  a piercing  whistle 
shattered  the  quiet  of  Fordham  Road. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


The  Taxi-Cab 

For  a few  moments  after  the  shrill  blast  of  the 
whistle  filled  the  suburban  street,  the  secret  agent 
waited  upon  the  door-step.  Then  a thought 
seemed  to  occur  to  him,  and  with  an  angry  excla- 
mation he  went  quickly  in  and  closed  the  door. 

In  a moment  he  was  at  the  telephone,  and  stood 
with  impatiently  tapping  foot  until  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  number  called  for ; then  the  sleepy, 
dry  voice  of  Fuller  said  complainingly  in  his  ear  : 

“ Hello,  who  is  it  ? ” 

The  secret  agent  made  reply  ; and  the  aide’s 
voice,  now  containing  an  eager  note,  demanded  : 

“What’s  up?’’ 

“ Get  O’Neill  at  once.  It’s  too  late  for  a train, 
but  call  Dixon  to  get  out  the  car  in  a hurry.  Then 
come  to  Morse’s,  Fordham  Road,  with  all  the  speed 
you  can.” 

“All  right,”  replied  Fuller.  “I’ll  get  Dixon 
first,  and  have  O’Neill  ready  when  the  machine 
arrives.” 

Ashton-Kirk  hung  up,  and  then  turned  to  Nanon, 
223 


224 


ASHTON-KIRK 


who  stood  but  a few  yards  away,  still  nervously 
rubbing  her  hands  with  the  corner  of  her  apron. 

“ You  saw  no  one  but  Miss  Corbin  a while  ago  ? ” 
he  asked. 

“No,”  answered  the  woman. 

“You  are  sure  of  that?”  His  singular  eyes 
searched  her  face,  but  she  met  the  look  without 
flinching. 

“ I am  sure,”  she  said.  There  was  a silence ; 
Ashton-Kirk  then  walked  down  the  hall  toward 
the  library  door ; and  as  he  reached  it,  he  felt  her 
hand  touch  his  shoulder.  “You  did  not  see  any 
one?”  she  asked. 

He  paused,  and  turned  his  head. 

“ What  would  you  say  if  I answered — yes?  ” 

The  sharp  old  eyes  wavered ; she  swallowed 
once  or  twice  spasmodically. 

“ You  did  see  some  one,”  she  said.  Then  with 
intense  eagerness : “ It  was  not  a man  ? ” 

He  was  about  to  reply  when  there  came  heavy 
footsteps  upon  the  porch  and  then  a loud  peal  at 
the  bell.  Ashton-Kirk  smiled. 

“ A policeman,  no  doubt,”  said  he.  “ Let  him 
in.” 

The  woman  opened  the  street  door ; the  hall 
lights  shone  upon  the  buttons  and  shield  of  a pa- 
trolman. 

“ I heard  the  sound  of  a whistle,”  said  he,  with  a 
rich  Irish  accent.  “ Is  anything  the  matter  ? ” 


SECRET  AGENT 


225 

Nanon  looked  toward  Ashton- Kirk  as  though 
expecting  him  to  answer;  he  came  forward. 

“ How  are  you  ? ” said  he.  “ Will  you  come 
in?” 

The  policeman  did  so.  He  was  a huge-chested 
and  heavy-limbed  fellow,  and  had  a head  of  fiery 
red  hair.  He  surveyed  Ashton-Kirk  with  a grin 
upon  his  good-natured  face. 

“ Oh,  hello,”  said  he.  “ So  it’s  you,  is  it  ? 1 
noticed  you  the  other  day  with  Osborne  while  I 
was  keeping  the  gate,  outside.” 

“ Sure  enough,”  said  the  secret  agent ; “ so  you 
were.” 

” I was  on  the  corner  beyant,  there,”  went  on 
the  red-haired  giant,  ” and  divil  the  thing  was  I 
expecting  when  the  blast  of  the  whistle  struck  me 
two  ears.  Sure,  there’s  seldom  anything  happens 
in  the  place ; it’s  like  a graveyard,  faith ; and  to 
have  a thing  like  that  go  off  all  of  a sudden  fair 
took  my  breath.” 

” It  was  a call  for  a man  whom  I thought  was 
close  by,”  explained  the  secret  agent,  as  the  old 
woman  left  them  together  in  the  library. 

The  policeman  winked  with  much  elaboration. 

“ I see,  I see,”  said  he.  ” A friend  wid  a good 
eye  and  a careful  manner.  Sure,  it’s  meself  who’s 
seen  him  often  enough  of  late  ; but  I thought  he 
was  a headquarters  man  put  here  by  Osborne.” 

Ashton-Kirk  regarded  him  thoughtfully. 


226 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ You  say  you  were  standing  on  the  corner 
when  you  heard  the  whistle,”  said  he, 

“There  do  be  a convenient  doorway  there,” 
smiled  the  policeman,  “ and  it’s  often  enough  I 
stop  there.  Sorra  the  bit  of  use  is  there  to  go 
pounding  about  the  edges  of  such  a beat  as  this. 
A man  might  as  well  make  himself  quiet  and 
easy.” 

“ How  long  were  you  there  to-night?” 

The  policeman  considered. 

“ The  best  part  of  a half  hour,”  he  ventured,  at 
last. 

“ Did  you  notice  any  one  go  by  in  that  time?  ” 

“ There  was  one  postman,”  said  the  officer,  “ a 
couple  of  milkmen  going  to  the  depot,  McGlone’s 
barkeeper  on  his  way  to  open  up  for  the  early 
gas-house  trade — and — yes,  there  was  a girl.” 

“ What  sort  of  a girl  ? ” 

“ Rather  a nice  sort — dressed  well  and  wearing 
a veil.  And  it's  a hurry  she  was  in,  for  she  turned 
the  corner  almost  at  a run.” 

“In  what  direction  did  she  go ? ” 

“ Toward  Berkley  Street.” 

“ It  is  not  likely  that  you  paid  any  further  at- 
tention to  her? ” 

“ Well,”  replied  the  red-haired  policeman, 
“ maybe  at  any  other  time  I wouldn’t  have.  But 
you  see,  I had  my  old  pipe  going  in  a comfortable 
kind  of  a way,  and  was  rather  wide  awake.  Then, 


SECRET  AGENT 


227 

the  queerness  of  the  hour,  and  the  hurry  she  was 
in,  made  me  step  out  of  the  doorway  and  gaze 
after  her.” 

“ I see,”  said  Ashton- Kirk. 

“ When  she  got  to  the  corner  of  Berkley  Street, 
she  stopped  for  a bit,  just  as  a body  will  who  is 
not  just  sure  of  what  they  are  going  to  do  next. 
A.nd  from  the  way  she  looked,  this  way  and  that, 
I got  the  notion  into  me  head  that  she  might  be 
expecting  somebody.” 

“ Ah  ! And  did  it  turn  out  so  ? ” 

The  man  shook  his  head. 

“ Sure,  I dunno,”  said  he.  “ But  no  one  come 
ilong  while  she  stood  there,  anyway.  She 
Aopped  for  only  a little,  though ; then  she  went 
:)n  up  Berkley  Street.” 

“Up  Berkley  Street?  Do  you  mean  north  on 
Berkley?” 

“ I see  you  do  be  very  exact,”  grinned  the  good- 
natured  giant.  “ Yes  ; it  was  north  she  went.” 

“ Humph ! South  on  Fordham  Road,  and 
north  on  Berkley  Street.  That  seems  rather 
queer.” 

The  policeman  looked  at  him  curiously. 

“ What  makes  you  think  so  ? ” asked  he. 

“ Of  course  she  may  have  changed  her  mind 
while  she  stood  on  the  corner,”  said  Ashton-Kirk, 
“ But  it  is  scarcely  likely.  Her  movements  were 
not  left  to  chance.”  He  paused  and  then  asked; 


228 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ If  a person  goes  south  on  Fordham  Road, 
crosses  to  Berkley,  which  is  a parallel  street,  and 
then  proceeds  north,  what  does  it  mean  ? ” 

The  policeman  pondered  the  matter  deeply ; 
then  a light  appeared  upon  his  face. 

“ I get  you,”  he  said.  ” The  woman  was  for 
stoppin’  somewhere  on  Berkley  Street.  That’s 
certain.  If  she  were  not,  she’d  have  gone  north 
be  Fordham  Road  and  so  saved  herself  the  walk 
av  a full  block.” 

The  two  remained  in  conversation  for  some 
time ; but  the  policeman  had  nothing  more  of  an 
interesting  nature  to  impart.  After  about  half 
an  hour  he  went  away,  and  Ashton-Kirk  began  to 
prowl  from  room  to  room  on  the  lower  floor; 
though  he  passed  old  Nanon  frequently,  as  she 
sat  under  a light,  her  lips  muttering  over  a book 
of  fine  print,  she  did  not  speak  to  him.  Indeed, 
she  scarcely  once  lifted  her  eyes.  If  the  secret 
agent  discovered  anything  in  his  mousing  about 
he  made  no  sign  ; and  when  there  came  the 
strident  hoot  of  a siren  in  the  street,  he  threw 
open  the  door. 

“This  way,  O’Neill,”  he  called. 

A smoothly-shaven  man  of  middle  age  came  up 
the  walk  and  stepped  upon  the  porch. 

“ How  do  you  do  ? ” said  he ; then  his  voice 
pitched  two  tones  higher  as  he  added  : “ Good 

heavens  ! What’s  the  matter  with  your  head  ? ” 


SECRET  AGENT 


229 


“ A little  affair  in  the  next  street,”  said  Ashton- 
Kirk.  “ It  is  of  no  great  consequence,  so  we’ll 
not  speak  of  it.  I want  you  to  stay  here  and  keep 
track  of  everything  that  goes  on ; you  will  be  re- 
lieved before  noon  to-morrow.” 

“ Very  good,”  said  the  smooth-faced  man  as 
the  other  led  him  through  the  hall. 

” This  man,”  said  Ashton-Kirk  to  the  old  serv- 
ant as  they  came  upon  her,  still  poring  over  the 
book,  ” will  remain  here  to  see  that  everything  is 
well  while  I am  gone.” 

She*merely  glanced  at  O’Neill,  and  then  nod- 
ded ; bending  close  over  the  book,  one  gaunt 
finger  following  each  line  of  the  tiny  type,  she 
went  on  reading  and  muttering  in  a husked  sort  of 
way  that  made  the  newcomer  stare. 

“ Rather  a queer  old  party,  I take  it,”  he  said, 
as  he  followed  his  employer  to  the  street  door. 

” Yes  ; but  then,”  and  there  was  a frankly  baf- 
fled look  in  the  secret  agent’s  eyes,  “ all  the 
people  in  this  house  appear  to  be  of  that  kind.  I 
fancied  that  I had  them  pretty  well  gauged  ; but 
now  I’m  beginning  to  find  out  that  I’ve  been 
somewhat  off  the  track.” 

With  this  he  hurried  out  to  the  car  and  gave  a 
quick  order  to  the  chauffeur.  Fuller,  who  sat 
with  upturned  collar  and  down-pulled  hat,  ex- 
claimed solicitously  at  the  sight  of  the  bandaged 
head,  and  the  investigator  in  as  few  words  as 


ASHTON-KIRK 


230 

possible  told  him  what  had  happened.  The  eyes 
of  the  aide  grew  round  with  amazement. 

“ Warwick!”  he  cried.  “Well,  now  that’s  one 
ahead  of  me.  I’ve  felt  convinced  from  the  first, 
as  you  know,  that  he  had  a good  bit  to  do  with 
this  affair;  but  I wasn’t  sure  that  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  Jap.  And  so  he  is  back,  eh?” 
with  a knowing  nod.  “ Back  and  crawling  about 
in  the  dark,  knocking  people  on  the  head.” 

At  a word  from  Ashton-Kirk  the  driver  halted 
the  car  at  the  corner  of  Berkley  Street. 

“ And  this  is  where  Miss  Corbin  stood,  as  the 
policeman  told  you,”  said  Fuller,  looking  about. 
“And  then  she  went  northward — northward,” 
with  much  significance  in  his  tone,  “ toward 
Okiu’s  place.” 

His  employer  was  looking  about,  and  said 
nothing  in  reply  ; so  Fuller  went  on  : 

“ And  what  we  sought  for  was  hidden  in  the 
socket  of  one  of  those  candlesticks  all  the  time, 

and ” here  he  halted  and  his  hand  slapped 

sharply  upon  his  knee.  “ But  no  I By  Jove,  it 
was  not,  for  I distinctly  recall  that  you  examined 
all  the  candlesticks  very  carefully  on  the  night  of 
the  murder.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded  rather  absently  ; his  eyes 
were  traveling  the  length  of  Berkley  Street. 

“ Then,”  cried  Fuller,  “ the  paper  was  placed 
there  since  that  night  The  murderer,  fearing  to 


SECRET  AGENT  231 

keep  it  in  his  or  her  possession,  placed  it  in  one 
of  the  candlesticks,  knowing  very  well  that  they 
must  have  been  already  searched,  and  feeling 
that  they  would  not  be  molested  again.  You  said 
you  were  sure  that  none  of  those  who  sought  the 
document  had  found  it,”  he  continued,  “ but  it 
seems  that  in  this  you  were  mistaken.  Unless,” 
as  though  a fresh  idea  had  come  to  him,  “ it 
should  turn  out  that,  after  all,  it  was  not  the  state 
paper  which  Miss  Corbin  took.” 

But  Ashton-Kirk  shook  his  head. 

“ I wish  I could  think  so,”  said  he,  gravely. 
“ If  I could,  I should  not  at  this  momelit  be  class- 
ing myself  as  a blithering  idiot.” 

“ I hardly  think  I understand,”  said  Fuller. 

“ Not  many  hours  ago,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  “ I 
told  Okiu  that  I could  place  my  hands  upon  the 
person  who  was  possessed  of  the  paper.  And  to 
have  found  the  assassin  of  Dr.  Morse  would  have 
been  no  more  difficult.  Well,”  somewhat  bit- 
terly, “ if  I had  taken  a leaf  from  Osborne’s 
book,  and  done  these  things  when  they  became 
plain  to  me,  I would  not  at  this  stage  of  the 
affair  be  circling  about  like  a hound  that’s  lost  the 
scent.” 

” I see  what  you  mean,”  said  Fuller,  “ and  I 
scarcely  think  you  could  have  acted  otherwise 
than  you  have.  The  entire  Morse  household  is  so 
entangled  in  this  matter  that  it  was  the  best  plan 


ASHTON-KIRK 


232 

to  arrest  no  one  until  you  had  learned  the  extent 
of  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  all.” 

“ That  was  my  idea,  of  course,”  said  the  inves- 
tigator. “ But  I am  not  sure  that  it  was  not 
entirely  the  idea  of  a gambler,  too  confident  of 
his  luck.  I fancy  that  I allowed  the  stake  to  lie 
too  long  upon  the  board  ; and  now  I find  myself 
in  a fair  way  to  lose  it  entirely. 

“ But,”  and  Fuller  came  back  to  the  idea  which 
he  had  expressed  a few  moments  before,  “ are  you 
quite  confident  that  the  object  Miss  Corbin  took 
from  the  candlestick  w'as ” 

But  the  other  stopped  him. 

” I have  very  excellent  reasons  for  being  con- 
fident. Listen  to  me.”  His  gaze  was  still  search- 
ing the  street  before  them,  but  the  brain  behind 
the  eyes  seemed  to  be  not  at  all  concerned  with 
what  he  saw.  “Colonel  Drevenoff,  the  com- 
mander of  the  regiment  in  which  Dr.  Morse 
served  during  the  Russo-Japanese  war,  was  a Pole. 
Most  Poles  are  Roman  Catholics.  Drevenoff  was 
one,  and  he  wore  the  scapular.” 

“Ah,”  said  Fuller,  a light  beginning  to  come 
into  his  eyes. 

“ The  paper  for  which  we  are  searching ” 

here  Ashton-Kirk  seemed  to  hesitate. 

“ And  which  Colonel  Drevenoff  stole  from  the 
Russian  secret  embassy,”  suggested  Fuller. 

“We  are  not  at  all  assured  that  he  did  so,” 


SECRET  AGENT 


233 

returned  Ashton-Kirk.  “ However,  it  was  in  his 
possession,  no  matter  how  it  came  there  ; and  he 
had  reasons  for  desiring  to  conceal  it.  The 
scapular  which  hung  about  his  neck  was  a most 
likely  place  for  this,  being  but  several  thicknesses 
of  cloth  stitched  together.  He  cut  some  of  these 
stitches,  laid  the  paper  between  the  layers  of  cloth 
and  sewed  them  together  once  more.” 

“And,”  said  Fuller,  excitedly,  “when  he  came 
to  give  the  paper  to  Dr.  Morse,  he  gave  the 
emblem  and  all.” 

“ Exactly.  And  judging  from  Dr.  Morse’s  lack 
of  light  afterward,  the  elder  Drevenoff  said  noth- 
ing about  the  paper  itself.  Of  course  he  had  an 
object  in  entrusting  the  scapular  to  the  English- 
man ; this  was,  doubtless,  that  it  be  handed  on  to 
some  third  person,  unknown  to  us. 

“Then  the  Japanese  goverment  somehow  got 
wind  of  the  matter ; and  Okiu,  their  most  acute 
agent,  was  assigned  to  secure  the  document. 
Like  most  artists,  Okiu  believes,  so  it  seems,  in 
preparing  his  material  before  he  sets  about  using 
it ; and  this  process  in  his  hands  has  had  a 
peculiarly  Oriental  tinge.  True  to  his  lacial 
instinct  his  methods  took  an  insidious,  indirect 
form,  a sort  of  preliminary  torture,  as  it  were,  and 
this  accounts  for  the  series  of  enigmatic  sketches 
with  which  Dr.  Morse  was  persecuted  during  the 
last  weeks  of  his  life.” 


ASHTON-KIRK 


234 

“But,”  said  Fuller,  somewhat  at  loss,  “just how 
does  all  this  assure  you  that  Miss  Corbin  now  has 
the  paper  ? ” 

“ I am  coming  to  that,”  said  Ashton-Kirk. 
“You  recall,  I suppose,  what  I told  you  regarding 
the  scapulars,  their  different  origins,  devices  and 
colors.” 

“ Yes.” 

“There  is  one  made  of  scarlet  cloth — the 
‘Scapular  of  the  Passion,’  This  is  the  one  affected 
by  Colonel  Drevenoff  ; for  it  was  one  of  this  type 
which  Miss  Corbin  took  from  its  hiding-place.  My 
lens  showed  me  some  fine  scarlet  strands  adhering 
to  some  fragments  of  wax  at  the  mouth  of  the 
candlestick ; and  as  if  this  were  not  enough,  I also 
saw  the  impression  of  a row  of  stitching,  such  as 
runs  along  the  scapular’s  edge,  upon  a deposit  of 
wax  at  the  bottom  of  the  socket.” 

“ It  seems  incredible  to  me,”  said  Fuller,  “ that 
a girl  of  Miss  Corbin’s  sort  should  have  a hand  in 
an  affair  like  this.  But  then,”  with  a shake  of 
the  head,  “ I suppose  her  love  for  this  fellow 
Warwick  accounts  for  it.  Many  a man  has  been 
ruined  by  love  of  an  unworthy  woman,  and  many 
a woman,  no  doubt,  by  love  of  an  unworthy 
man.” 

But  to  all  appearances  the  secret  agent  did  not 
follow  these  moralizings  with  any  great  attention. 
The  big  lamps  upon  the  car  threw  their  long 


SECRET  AGENT 


235 

white  rays  along  Berkley  Street ; and  while  his 
mind  was  apparently  engaged  upon  other  things, 
the  eyes  of  Ashton-Kirk  followed  the  stretch  of 
illuminated  space  to  the  end.  Now  he  got  out, 
and  said  to  the  chauffeur : 

“ Move  ahead  very  slowly.” 

With  eyes  fixed  upon  the  dusty  asphalt,  the 
secret  agent  walked  ahead  of  the  car.  The  lights 
of  the  latter  threw  everything  they  fell  upon  into 
sharp  relief.  At  the  curb  before  Okiu’s  house, 
Ashton-Kirk  held  up  his  hand,  and  the  car  halted. 

“What  is  it?”  asked  Fuller. 

“ I caught  the  tire  tracks  of  another  car  below 
there ; they  were  so  clear  and  uncut  by  other 
marks  that  I fancied  that  they  might  have  been 
made  late  at  night.” 

“ Do  you  now  think  they  were  ? ” 

“ I can’t  say.  But  they  lead  up  to  this  point. 
A halt  was  made,  then  the  machine  turned  and 
doubled  on  its  tracks.” 

Some  distance  up  the  street  on  the  opposite 
side,  a flare  of  red  and  green  light  caught  the 
speaker’s  attention.  It  came  from  a drug  store, 
and  with  Fuller  he  crossed  the  street  and  entered. 
A white-jacketed  clerk  stood  behind  a marble 
covered  counter,  and  served  them  with  the  cigars 
which  they  asked  for.  Ashton-Kirk  lighted  his  at 
a swinging  gas  flame  near  the  door  and  drew  at 
it  with  enjoyment 


236  ASHTON-KIRK 

/ 

“ Rather  out  of  the  way  for  an  all-night  place, 
isn’t  it? ” he  asked. 

The  clerk  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

“ It’s  not  a big  payer  after  about  nine  o’clock,” 
said  he.  “ But  you  see,  it  is  one  of  a chain  of 
stores,  and  the  company’s  policy  is  to  keep  open 
all  the  time.” 

“ I see.” 

“We  do  some  business  by  not  closing,  but  not 
enough  to  shatter  any  records.  This  isn’t  the 
swiftest  place  on  earth,  you  know.” 

“ I suppose  not.” 

“Your  car  will  make  some  talk  to-morrow,” 
smiled  the  clerk.  “ They’ll  all  be  wondering  who 
was  up  at  such  an  hour  as  this.  And  those  who 
heard  you  will  feel  that  they  have  something  on 
those  who  did  not.” 

“ I shall  be  a thrilling  sort  of  a person,  t’nen,” 
smiled  Ashton-Kirk.  “I  suppose,”  after  a mo- 
ment, “ that  you  do  not  have  many  automobiles 
pass  through  Eastbury  at  night  ? ” 

“ Not  after  early  evening.  But  yours  is  the 
second  to-night — or  rather  this  morning,”  with  a 
look  at  the  clock. 

Fuller  darted  a rapid  glance  at  the  secret  agent ; 
but  the  latter  displayed  no  eagerness.  Placing 
his  cigar  upon  the  edge  of  the  counter,  he  began 
carefully  rearranging  a frayed  end  of  the  bandage 
about  his  head. 


SECRET  AGENT 


237 


“ Two,  eh  ? ” was  all  he  said. 

“ I didn’t  see  the  other  myself,”  said  the  drug 
clerk.  “ But  it  stopped  over  at  the  Japanese,  too, 
so  old  Patterson,  the  watchman,  told  me.  That 
was  a couple  of  hours  ago.” 

Ashton-Kirk  had  finished  with  the  bandage  and 
surveyed  it,  in  a mirror,  with  an  air  of  satisfaction. 
Then  taking  up  his  cigar  once  more,  he  remarked  : 

“ Stopped  there,  too,  did  it  ? Humph ! I 
wonder  if  any  one  got  in  ? ” 

“ Patterson  said  there  were  two  persons  came 
out  of  the  house,  but  only  Mr.  Okiu  got  into  the 
taxi.  The  other  one  walked  up  the  street.  But,” 
and  the  clerk  wagged  his  head  in  humorous  ap- 
preciation, “that’s  not  the  funny  part  of  the 
thing.” 

“ No  ? ” 

“ It  was  the  girl,”  said  the  clerk,  a broad  smile 
upon  his  face. 

Again  Fuller  darted  the  inquiring  look  at  the 
secret  agent ; but  even  at  this  he  did  not  display 
any  indications  of  marked  interest. 

“ There  was  a girl,  was  there  ? ” was  all  Ashton- 
Kirk  said. 

The  clerk  nodded. 

“ Patterson  is  a funny  old  scout,  there's  no  use 
talking,”  said  he.  “ He’s  got  such  a comic  way 
of  looking  at  things.  And  where  he  gets  all  his 
expressions  is  more  than  I can  say.” 


238  ASHTON-KIRK 

“I’d  like  to  hear  him  tell  about  it,”  said  Ashton- 
Kirk. 

“ He’s  taking  a sleep  in  the  back  room,”  said 
the  clerk,  with  a wink.  “ I’ll  try  and  get  him 
out.’' 

He  disappeared  and  in  a few  moments  returned, 
followed  by  a short,  ruddy-faced  old  man  with  a 
short-clipped  white  moustache, 

“ Oh,  the  Jap  and  the  taxi,”  said  he,  when  the 
matter  was  explained  to  him,  “Yes,  that  was  a 
queer  kind  of  a little  thing.”  He  looked  at  the 
secret  agent  in  a knowing  sort  of  way,  and  then 
proceeded  : “You  can’t  keep  track  of  everybody, 
no  matter  how  hard  you  try.  I’ve  been  noticing 
that  Jap,  because  he  was  a Jap,  ever  since  he 
came  into  this  neighborhood,  but  I never  give  him 
credit  for  this.” 

“ Have  a cigar  ? ” suggested  Ashton-Kirk. 

The  private  watchman  bit  the  end  off  the  cigar 
and  lit  it  with  much  care. 

“ I smoke  a pipe  most  of  the  time,”  said  he, 
“ but  I like  a cigar  once  in  a while.”  He  puffed 
it  into  a glow,  and  then  went  on  : “That  taxi  to- 
night turns  around  and  starts  down  the  street  and 
around  the  corner  toward  Fordham  Road.  And 
just  as  it  turns  the  corner  I notices  a chicken 
standing  there — regular  broiler  with  a veil  on  and 
a little  bag  in  her  mit.  She  starts  up  Berkley 
toward  where  I’m  standing,  but  before  she  gets 


SECRET  AGENT 


239 

half-way  I heard  the  buzzing  of  the  taxi  once 
more ; around  it  came  again  into  Berkley  and 
shot  up  to  the  curb  abreast  of  the  girl. 

“She  stopped  like  a flash,  the  Jap  threw  open 
the  door,  and  she  gave  a little  yelp  as  though  she 
was  just  about  as  glad  as  she’d  ever  been  in  her 
life.  Then  she  jumped  into  the  taxi,  the  door  shut 
and  around  the  corner  it  whirled  and  was  gone. 
There’s  no  use  talking,’’  said  the  speaker  and  he 
shook  his  head  in  a way  that  convulsed  the  drug 
clerk,  “ you  can’t  never  tell  anything  about  human 
nature.” 

Ashton-Kirk  buttoned  up  his  coat. 

“ In  that,”  said  he,  “ I thoroughly  agree  with 
you.  Human  nature  is  a thing  which  we  can 
base  little  upon  with  safety.”  Then  to  Fuller  he 
added  : “ Come ! I think  we  have  some  work 

ahead  of  us.” 


CHAPTER  XX 


Fresh  Developments 

On  the  following  morning  Ashton-Kirk  entered 
his  study  ; a few  moments  later  Stumph  followed 
him,  bearing  a cup  of  coffee.  And  while  his  em- 
ployer sipped  this,  Stumph  gravely  remonstrated. 

“You  should  not  work.  You  have  had  too 
little  sleep.” 

“Has  Purvis  come  in?”  asked  the  other,  heed- 
lessly. 

“ Yes,  he  is  waiting.”  Then,  not  to  be  deterred, 
the  man  added,  glancing  at  the  patch  of  white  ' 
plaster  which  covered  the  wound  on  his  employer’s 
head : “ You  will  be  ill — you  should  rest.” 

“ There  is  work  which  must  be  done,”  smiled 
Ashton-Kirk.  “ You  don’t  always  lay  up  your- 
self, Stumph,  when  you  are  out  of  sorts.” 

“ No,  sir,”  replied  the  man,  gravely,  “ but 
this ” 

“ Ask  Purvis  to  come  in.” 

A few  moments  later  a young  man  with  a prom- 
inent nose  and  a long  chin  came  into  the  room . 

“ Good  morning,”  said  he.  “ I understand  from 
Fuller  that  you  wanted  me  last  night.” 

“ It  did  not  matter,  as  things  turned  out.” 

240 


SECRET  AGENT 


241 


“ My  orders.”  said  Purvis,  “ were  to  follow  any 
of  the  household.  When  Drevenofi  left  the  place 
I got  after  him  according  to  instructions.  But,” 
with  a disgusted  air,  “ would  you  believe  it  ? — I 
lost  him.” 

If  Ashton-Kirk  was  annoyed  at  this,  he  did  not 
show  it. 

” How  was  that  ? ” he  inquired. 

“ He  boarded  the  train  at  Eastbury,”  explained 
Purvis,  ” and  I did  the  same.  For  the  life  of  me 
I don’t  know  how  he  did  it,  for  I thought  I had 
my  eye  on  him  all  along ; but  when  the  train 
reached  the  city,  he  was  not  on  it.  Perhaps  he 
noticed  me  and  took  a desperate  chance  while  the 
train  was  moving.” 

“O’Neill  is  at  the  Fordham  Road  house,”  said 
Ashton-Kirk.  “ I want  you  to  relieve  him  at 
noon.” 

“ Very  good,”  said  Purvis.  “ Any  instruc- 
tions ? ” 

“ Nothing  more  than  that  you  are  to  keep  track 
of  anything  that  may  happen.  O’Neill  is  to  re- 
lieve you  again  at  midnight.” 

When  Purvis  had  taken  his  leave,  Ashton-Kirk 
rang  for  Fuller.  That  young  man  entered  ; in 
spite  of  his  loss  of  sleep  he  looked  as  brisk  as  ever. 

“ What  about  the  motor  cab  ? ” asked  the  secret 
agent, 

“ I looked  up  the  various  stations.  The  nearest 


242 


ASHTON-KIRK 


to  Okiu’s  house  is  on  Collingwood  Avenue,  I 
called  them  on  the  telephone,  but  could  get  no 
satisfaction.  Then  I paid  them  a visit,  with  bet- 
ter results.  Okiu  called  a cab  about  midnight. 
Its  driver’s  name  is  Freeman,  and  he  lives  on 
Nineteenth  Street.  Having  gone  off  duty  I 
thought  he  would  probably  be  at  his  boarding- 
house ; so  I went  there  and  was  lucky  enough  to 
find  him  at  home. 

“Yes,  he  recalled  the  trip  to  Eastbury,  and  re- 
membered perfectly  that  he  had  run  his  fare  all 
the  w^ay  to  the  city  and  to  the  railroad  station. 
Then  I went  to  the  station.  Again  I was  fortu- 
nate. A Jap  answering  Okiu’s  description  had 
been  sold  two  tickets  at  Just  about  the  time  the 
taxi  driver  said  he  had  reached  the  station.” 

“ You  inquired  to  what  points  the  tickets  were 
bought?” 

“ Yes,”  and  here  Fuller’s  face  expressed  great 
satisfaction.  “ They  were  for  Washington.” 

The  secret  agent  arose  to  his  feet,  his  singular 
eyes  shining  with  excitement,  his  nostrils  dilating 
like  those  of  a thoroughbred  facing  the  barrier. 
After  a few  turns  up  and  down  the  room,  he  said  : 

“ This  looks  like  the  last  stage  of  the  chase. 
We  must  win  now,  or  never.” 

“Washington,”  said  Fuller,  “is  headquarters 
for  such  things  as  that  secret  document.  The  em- 
bassies  just  yawn  for  them.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


243 

There  was  a short  pause  ; Ashton-Kirk  halted 
at  a window,  and  looked  down  at  the  eager,  grub- 
bing horde  in  the  street. 

“ What  have  you  heard  from  Burgess  ? ” he 
asked. 

“ He  sent  in  a long  written  report  this  morning. 
It  would  seem  that  the  flurry  on  Fordham  Road 
was  not  the  only  one  last  night — or  rather  this 
morning.” 

Fuller  handed  the  other  a number  of  folded 
sheets.  They  ran  : 


“ I am  sending  this  by  messenger.  Can’t  leave 
the  job  myself.  About  an  hour  ago  Karkowsky 
got  a call  on  the  telephone.  A man  came  to  his 
room  door  and  began  hammering  to  wake  him 
up.  The  ’phone  is  on  the  first  floor ; Karkowsk)’’ 
hurried  ddwn  to  answer ; and  I followed  him. 

“ He  went  into  the  booth  ; I couldn’t  hear  what 
was  said,  but  I could  see  him  through  the  glass 
door ; and  if  ever  a man  listened  to  anything  with 
attention,  he  was  that  man.  As  I watched  him  I 
could  see  that  he  grew  more  and  more  excited ; 
then  he  hung  up,  and  rushed  out  of  the  booth. 
The  first  thing  he  did  was  to  snatch  down  a time- 
table from  a rack ; skimming  it  over  he  threw  it 
aside  and  then  was  off  up-stairs.  I managed  to 
get  possession  of  the  time-table  ; it  was  a schedule 
of  Washington  trains. 

“ Just  now  it  looks  as  though  my  man  were  go- 
ing to  jump  out  for  Washington,  If  he  does  I’ll 
call  you.  Burgess.” 


244 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ So,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  as  he  laid  the  report 
upon  the  table,  “ our  friend  Karkowsky  also 
shows  an  interest  in  Washington.  Has  Burgess 
called  as  yet  ? ” 

“Yes,  I had  a short  talk  with  him  a while  ago. 
He  was  then  at  the  station  waiting  for  the  train 
which  Karkowsky  was  to  take.  And,”  continued 
Fuller,  “he  told  me  of  something  more.  It  seems 
while  he  was  waiting  at  the  Lowe  Street  place  for 
Karkowsky  to  make  a move,  he  thought  he’d  like 
to  know  who  had  the  Pole  on  the  ’phone  and  put 
him  into  such  a state  of  mind. 

“ So  he  called  the  operator.  ‘ This  is  such  and 
such  a number,’  he  says.  ‘ What  number  was 
that  who  just  called  me  ? ’ 

“ ‘ It  was  so  and  so  number,’  says  the  girl,  after 
a little. 

“ " All  right,’  says  he,  ‘ give  me  that.’  ” 

“ Well  ? ” said  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ It  was  a tavern  on  Fordham  Road  about  a 
block  from  Morse’s,”  said  Fuller,  “ The  bar- 
keeper answered.  The  only  person  he’d  seen 
using  the  telephone  was  a young  fellow  who 
talked  a,  foreign  language — a Pole  who  lived  at 
Morse’s — the  place  he  said  where  the  man  was 
killed  a few  nights  ago.  That  was  enough 
for  Burgess ; so  he  thanked  the  man  and  hung 
up.” 

“ Drevenofi  has  heard  something,”  smiled  Ash 


SECRET  AGENT 


245 

ton-Kirk.  “ Altogether  he  seems  a marvelously 
well-posted  young  man.” 

There  was  some  further  talk  between  the  two  ; 
then  Fuller  went  out  and  Ashton-Kirk  continued  to 
stand  by  the  window,  gazing  down  at  the  throng- 
ing, chaffering,  noisy  crowd.  Large  horses  drew 
small  loads,  while  small  men  staggered  under 
large  ones  ; heady  cries  summoned  those  at  a dis- 
4ance  to  the  spots  where  bargains  in  faded  vege- 
tables or  decaying  fish  were  to  be  had ; the  stone 
steps  of  the  houses  were  filled  with  men  in  hard 
hats  and  upturned  coat  collars  ; women  with  their 
heads  wrapped  in  knitted  shawls  peered  out  be- 
tween the  folds  in  stolid  wonder. 

At  length  he  turned  from  the  window,  sat  down 
in  the  wide-armed  chair  and  lighted  the  German 
pipe ; clouds  began  to  gather  above  his  head  and 
to  curl  into  the  outer  air ; the  rumble  of  wheels, 
the  outcries  of  the  drivers  and  hucksters,  the 
undertone  of  those  cautiously  sparring  for  the 
advantage  in  a trade,  stole  into  the  room ; how- 
ever, he  smoked  on,  oblivious.  But,  when  his 
pondering  seemed  at  its  deepest  and  the  corruga- 
tions between  his  eyes  the  most  prominent,  he 
suddenly  struck  the  table  a blow  with  his  palm 
and  leaped  up. 

“ That’s  it,”  he  cried,  “ that’s  it ! What  an 
idiot  I was  not  to  think  of  it  before.” 

Putting  aside  the  pipe  he  took  down  a directory 


£40  ASHTON-KIRK 

and  began  turning  the  pages  rapidly.  Now  and 
then  he  made  a rapid  note  upon  a block  of  paper. 
Then  he  pushed  the  book  away,  descended  the 
steps  two  at  a time,  and  in  the  lower  hall  put  on 
his  hat.  Stumph,  hurrying  to  be  of  some  service, 
reached  the  hall  just  as  the  street  door  slammed  ; 
and  through  a window  he  saw  Ashton-Kirk,  with 
eager  tread,  hurrying  up  the  street. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


The  Man  With  the  Decoration 

It  was  rather  late  on  the  afternoon  of  the  same 
day  that  Ashton-Kirk,  accompanied  by  young 
Fuller,  entered  a government  building  at  Wash- 
ington. Apparently  the  secret  agent  was  ex- 
pected, for  he  was  ushered  into  the  same  superbly 
appointed  office  as  upon  his  former  visit ; and  the 
same  ruddy-faced,  white-haired  official  greeted 
him. 

“ So,”  said  the  latter,  “ the  hunt  has  brought 
you  here.” 

Ashton-Kirk  tossed  his  gloves  and  hat  upon  the 
desk  and  shook  hands. 

“ That,”  said  he,  “ is  now  the  status  of  the 
affair — it’s  a hunt ; and  the  pack  is  an  assorted 
one  and  in  full  cry  ” 

‘‘  We  received  your  wire  yesterday,  and  the 
department’s  agents  at  once  went  to  work,” 

“ Is  there  any  result  ? ” 

“ Nothing  marked.” 

“ But  surely  they  have  located  the  girl  ? ” 

**  Oh,  yes,  of  course.  She  did  not  make  the 
slightest  attempt  to  hide.  As  soon  as  she  arrived 
in  the  city  she  went  to  the  Tillinghast  and  placed 

247 


ASHTON-KIRK 


248 

her  own  name  upon  the  register.  And  since 
arriving  there  she  has  not  once  gone  out.” 

“ Any  visitors  ? ” 

“ No.  But  about  noon  a message  arrived  for 
her.  And  our  man  recognized  the  messenger  as 
one  connected  with,  curiously  enough— the  Ger- 
man Embassy.” 

” The  German  Embassy  ! ” 

A peculiar  expression  came  into  the  face  of 
Ashton-Kirk.  He  sat  looking  at  the  secretary 
for  a moment ; and  then  the  latter  saw  a slow 
smile  gradually  creep  about  his  mouth.  He  took 
a note-book  from  his  pocket,  and  glanced  at  some 
memoranda. 

“ Of  course,”  said  he,  after  a moment,  ” you 
have  the  names  and  biographies  of  the  various 
persons  attached  to  the  foreign  embassies  ? ” 

” To  be  sure.” 

“ If  it  is  not  too  much  trouble,  I should  like  to 
see  a list  of  the  German  officials.” 

The  secretary  touched  a bell ; an  attendant 
heard  his  wants,  disappeared,  and  in  a few  mo- 
ments reappeared,  placing  a small  book  upon  the 
desk.  The  secret  agent  took  it  up,  and  his  long, 
inquiring  finger  ran  down  a column  of  names 

“Von  Marc,”  he  read,  “Stelzner,  Konig,  Dietz.” 
Then  the  finger  paused.  “ Von  Steinmetz,”  said 
he.  “ Page  twenty-nine.”  He  turned  the  pages 
until  he  came  to  the  one  indicated  ; and  what  he 


SECRET  AGENT 


249 


found  there  he  read  with  attention.  When  he 
had  finished  he  laid  the  volume  upon  the  desk. 

“ To  have  Germany  drawn  into  this  matter,” 
said  he,  “ will  of  course  complicate  matters.” 

“You  expect  that  she  m'// be  drawn  into  it  ? ” 
and  the  secretaiy  looked  at  him  inquiringly.  The 
secret  agent  nodded,  and  the  secretary  continued : 
“ To  have  a certain  document  fall  into  her  hands 
might  lead  to  nothing — and  then  again  it  might 
lead  to  a great  deal.” 

He  sat  pondering  for  a moment ; then  his  ruddy 
face  lighted  up,  and  he  said  : 

“ Pardon  me  a moment.” 

He  called  for  a number  on  the  telephone  and 
chatted  with  Ashton- Kirk  while  he  waited.  When 
the  connection  was  made,  he  said  into  the  re- 
ceiver : 

“ Did  I understand  that  you  have  Stelzner  for 
to-night  ? ” There  was  a pause  while  the  answer 
was  being  made.  Then  he  proceeded,  evidently 
well  satisfied  : “ Very  well ; then  you  may  expect 

an  additional  guest.  Good-bye.” 

He  turned  from  the  telephone  and  settled  back 
in  his  chair. 

“ My  wife  is  giving  a dinner  to-night,”  said  he. 
“ I do  not  know  all  her  arrangements,  but  I can 
promise  you  an  excellent  dinner  and  a most  dis- 
tinguished company.  Also,”  and  there  was  a 
significant  look  in  his  eyes  as  he  said  it,  “ there 


250  ASHTON-KIRK 

will  be  a person  present  who  will  interest  you  a 
great  deal.” 

“ I shall  be  delighted  to  eat  your  dinner  and 
meet  your  distinguished  company,”  laughed 
Ashton-Kirk.  “ But,  above  all,  I am  desirous  of 
meeting  the  person  who  will  interest  me.” 

At  their  hotel  a little  later,  Ashton-Kirk  dis- 
cussed the  situation  with  his  aide.  Fuller  listened 
with  amazement. 

“But,”  he  cried,  when  the  other  had  done, 
“ this  sounds  preposterous  ! Why  should  Miss 
Corbin  desire  to  deal  with  the  German  Embassy 
in  a matter  which  she  planned  with  Okiu  ? ” 

“ Before  we  make  up  our  minds  that  she  did 
plan  with  Okiu,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  “let  us  look 
further.  As  it  stands  we  are  not  at  all  assured 
of  it.” 

“ Assured  ! ” Fuller  stared  in  astonishment. 
“ Have  you  forgotten  her  secret  conference  with 
the  Japanese  that  day  at  the  window  ? Have  you 
forgotten  the  talk  Nan  on  heard  between  the  girl 
and  her  lover  on  the  stairs  ? Have  you  forgotten 
the  presence  of  that  lover  in  Okiu’s  house  when 
you  were  all  but  trapped,  and  his  desperate 
attempt  upon  your  life  ? And  surely  the  girl’s 
own  attempt  in  the  matter  of  the  communicating 
gas  pipe  has  not  escaped  you  ! I say  ‘ the  girl’s 
own  attempt  ’ because  it  was  she  who  urged  the 
man  on.  And,  above  all,  the  matter  of  the  taxi- 


SECRET  AGENT  251 

cab  must  be  still  fresh  in  your  memory.  As  soon 
as  she  was  possessed  of  the  paper  she  made  at 
once  for  Okiu’s.  And  he  was  waiting  for  her. 
Did  she  not  get  into  the  cab  with  him  ? Did  they 
not  drive  to  the  railway  station  ? Did  he  not  buy 
two  tickets  for  Washington  ? Is  she  not  here  ? ” 
Fuller  was  tense  with  excitement ; his  eyes  snapped 
as  he  made  each  point.  “ And  for  all,”  he  added 
in  amazement,  “ you  seem  to  doubt  that  she  was 
concerned  in  the  matter  with  the  Japanese.” 

Ashton-Kirk  smiled  at  his  aide’s  heat. 

“ I merely  asked  if  we  were  assured  that  she 
was  so  concerned,”  said  he,  quietly.  “No  case  is 
built  upon  appearances  alone.  They  merely 
point  out  things  which  should  be  examined ; the 
results  of  this  latter  are  the  threads  which,  when 
woven  together,  make  the  case  complete.” 

An  hour  or  two  later  the  secret  agent  was  set 
down  at  the  handsome  residence  of  the  secretary  ; 
and  upon  entering  found  that  genial  gentleman 
in  the  midst  of  a knot  of  his  dinner  guests  and 
was  warmly  greeted  by  the  secretary  and  his 
wife.  As  soon  as  he  could,  the  host  drew  Ashton- 
Kirk  aside. 

“ That  round,  rosy  little  man  with  the  decoration 
upon  his  coat  is  your  interesting  person,”  sug- 
gested he.  “We  shall  put  you  as  close  to  him  as 
we  can.” 

The  secret  agent  examined  the  little  man,  who 


252  ASHTON-KIRK 

was  possessed  of  a gleaming  bald  head,  a cheerful 
manner,  and  a pronounced  German  accent ; and 
while  he  was  so  doing,  the  secretary  went  on  : 

“ As  I said  this  afternoon,  I am  not  always 
acquainted  with  my  wife’s  arrangements.  And 
now  I find  that  we  are  also  to  have  Matsadi — and 
Matsadi,  if  you  are  not  already  aware  of  the  fact, 
is  the  Japanese  minister’s  right-hand  man.” 

“ I have  heard  him  mentioned,”  said  Ashton- 
Kirk.  “ And  I understand  that  he  is  clever.” 

“ He  has  a wonderful  touch — scarcely  percepti- 
ble, and  unusually  successful.” 

At  the  table  Ashton-Kirk  found  himself  near  to 
Matsadi  and  opposite  the  rosy  little  German.  The 
Japanese  was  spare  and  narrow-faced  ; he  wore 
glasses,  talked  little  and  ate  less.  But  he  seemed 
keenly  alive  to  all  that  was  said  and  done ; his 
diffident  smile  approved  of  everything. 

The  little  German  ate  a great  deal  and  drank 
quite  a bit  more.  And  he  talked  ceaselessly.  As 
the  dinner  progressed  he  grew  rosier  than  ever ; 
his  eyes  and  his  bald  dome  seemed  trying  to  out- 
shine his  decoration.  There  was  a chuckle  in  his 
voice  when  he  addressed  his  host,  which  was  often, 
and  his  head  nodded  humorously  over  what  were 
evidently  intended  as  thickly  veiled  allusions. 
But  as  the  secretary  paid  little  attention  to  his 
sayings,  the  German  began  to  direct  his  remarks 
to  Matsadi.  The  latter  replied  with  a courteous 


SECRET  AGENT 


253 

reserve  which  seemed  to  amuse  the  German  vastly ; 
sometimes  he  shook  like  a portly  mould  of  gela- 
tine. 

“ Ach,  himmel ! ” said  he,  nodding  to  Ashton- 
Kirk,  whose  eye  he  happened  to  catch,  “ some  the 
sense  of  humor  have  not.  As  for  me,  always  do  I 
laugh,  whether  the  joke  is  on  me  or  not.” 

” You  are  to  be  envied,”  replied  the  secret  agent. 

The  little  man  cocked  his  eye  at  Matsadi  in  a 
most  knowing  manner. 

“ I have  heard  it  said  ‘ That  the  race  is  not 
always  to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong,’  ” 
he  said.  ” Was  it  a psalmist,  a prophet  or  a poet 
of  our  own  time  who  so  spoke  ? But  no  matter, 
it  is  very  good — but  not  complete.  One  might  add 
‘ That  the  reward  is  not  always  to  the  industri- 
ous.’ ” 

Observing  that  he  was  being  spoken  to,  the 
Japanese  leaned  forward. 

” I beg  your  pardon  ? ” said  he,  inquiringly. 

“There  is  philosophy  in  the  wine,”  observed 
the  German,  and  he  added  to  the  luster  of  his 
brilliant  scalp  by  rubbing  it  with  a handkerchief. 
“ And  with  me  its  wisdom  stays  upon  the  tongue.” 

The  Japanese  smiled  sedately. 

“ I have  noticed  that,”  said  he. 

The  other  laughed  and  quivered  with  all  his 
round  little  body. 

“ Good,  ’ said  he.  “ I was  in  hopes  that  you 


254 


ASHTON-KIRK 


wouid  wake  up.”  Then  he  went  on  in  a sort  of 
musing  tone,  but  with  dancing  eyes : “ Many  a 
man  has  toiled  early  and  late  to  make  a plant 
fruitful ; and  the  result  of  his  work  is  that  some 
idle  one,  who  laughs  and  drinks  and  snaps  his 
fingers  at  labor,  has  the  ripened  fruit  fall  into  his 
lap.” 

Matsadi  seemed  not  to  grasp  the  meaning  of 
this ; at  any  rate  he  smiled  in  a vague  sort  of  way 
and  contented  himself  with  nodding  his  head. 
Very  little  passed  between  them  after  this,  as  the 
Japanese  had  his  attention  taken  by  the  lady 
beside  him  ; but  later,  in  the  coat  room,  Ashton- 
Kirk  heard  him  say  to  the  German  : 

“Your  simile  of  the  industrious  planter  and  the 
vagabond  was  a very  excellent  one.  And  it 
frequently  happens  so.  I was  much  struck  with 
it.” 

A young  man,  wearing  a number  of  Austrian 
orders,  said,  as  he  was  being  helped  on  with  his 
coat : 

“ Are  you  going  on  to  Von  Stunnenberg’s, 
Matsadi  ? Perhaps  I could  give  you  a lift.” 

“Thank  you,”  said  the  Japanese.  “Yes,  I had 
thought  of  going.” 

“ I’ll  wait  for  you,”  said  the  other,  as  he  went 
out. 

Matsadi  took  up  his  gloves  and  hat ; he  paused 
before  the  laughing  German. 


SECRET  AGENT 


255 

“Yes,”  said  he,  and  there  was  a thoughtful 
look  upon  his  face,  “your  parable  was  a good 
one.  But  does  the  story  always  end  so  ? As  the 
idle  one  lifts  the  fruit  to  his  greedy  lips,  do  I not 
see  the  patient  toiler  reaching  out  to  snatch  it 
from  him  ? ” 

And  as  Matsadi  hurried  after  the  Austrian,  the 
portly  little  man  chuckled  rapturously, 

“They  are  so  like  children,”  said  he. 

As  Ashton-Kirk  shook  hands  with  the  secretary, 
the  latter  said : 

“ I trust  that  Stelzner  entertained  you.  He 
loves  to  make  a parade  behind  the  wall  of  innu- 
endo and  allusion  when  he  is  well  fed.  And,  then, 
I fancied  that  he  might  have  heard  something.” 

“ He  was  invaluable,”  said  Ashton-Kirk, 
“ And,”  with  a smile,  “ Matsadi  was  not  without 
his  interesting  weaknesses.”  After  a short  pause 
he  said  : “ There  is  to  be  something  or  other  to- 
night at  the  house  of  the  German  ambassador, 
Von  Stunnenberg  ? ” 

“Yes,  a ball,  I believe.” 

“ As  a rule  I avoid  such  things,”  said  the  secret 
agent ; “ but  if  you  could  manage  to  have  me  re* 
ceived  at  this  one,  I should  be  delighted.” 


CHAPTER  XXII 


The  German  Embassy  Ball 

The  street  before  the  German  Embassy  was 
thronged  with  motor-cars  and  carriages ; the  win- 
dows sparkled  with  lights ; lines  of  police  sharply 
directed  traffic  and  saw  to  it  that  the  space  before 
the  building  was  kept  open. 

It  was  perhaps  eleven  o’clock  when  Ashton- 
Kirk,  accompanied  by  Fuller,  arrived.  The  latter 
gazed  about  the  glittering  rooms,  astonished. 

“ I’m  not  sure  which  it  most  resembles,”  he  said, 
“ a masked  ball  without  the  masks,  or  an  ensemble 
number  in  a musical  comedy.” 

The  women  were  magnificent ; their  gowns 
shone,  their  shoulders  and  arms  gleamed  under 
the  many  lights.  The  officers  attached  to  the  va- 
rious embassies  made  a dashing  picture  in  their 
gorgeous  uniforms ; the  official  dress  of  the  dip- 
lomats was  stately  and  picturesque.  Here  was  a 
white-haired  old  Austrian,  his  chest  aglitter  with 
crosses  and  orders,  engaged  with  the  Turkish  en- 
voy ; the  Chinese  minister,  his  flowing  silken 
robes  tucked  in  about  him,  sat  placidly  in  the 
midst  of  a group  of  admiring  ladies  ; the  flaming 
scarlet  and  gold  lace  of  one  South  American  re~ 

256 


SECRET  AGENT 


257 

public  contrasted  strongly  with  the  white  and 
silver  of  another ; Mexico  vied  with  Russia  in 
splendor,  Vvhile  less  spectacular  states  ran  from  so- 
ber greens  and  grays  to  the  plain  black  of  con- 
ventional dress. 

Plants  and  lights  were  everywhere ; from  the 
ballroom  came  the  strains  of  a German  waltz  ; the 
dancers  floated  about  upon  the  shining  floor. 

The  handsome  Baroness  Von  Stunnenberg 
greeted  the  secret  agent  and  his  aide ; the  am- 
bassador, who  was  a massive  man  with  a snowy, 
up-twisted  moustache  and  the  stride  of  a Prussian 
cavalryman,  stood  near  by. 

“ I was  informed  of  your  coming,”  he  said  to 
Ashton-Kirk.  ” And  although  I do  not  quite  un- 
derstand, still  I am  pleased  to  see  you.” 

The  secret  agent  had  replied,  and  Von  Stun- 
nenberg was  turning  away  when  a delighted 
voice  exclaimed : 

“ Kirk,  old  chap,  I’m  astonished ! Here,  of  all 
places  in  the  world.” 

Ashton-Kirk  turned  and  came  face  to  face  with 
a brilliantly  beautiful  woman,  and  a young  man 
with  a vastly  contented  look. 

“ Mrs.  Pendleton,”  said  the  secret  agent,  as  he 
took  the  outstretched  hand,  “ I can  only  repeat 
your  husband’s  exclamation,  ‘ Here,  of  all  places 
in  the  world.’  ” 

“But  what  does  it  mean?”  demanded  Jimmie 


ASHTON-KIRK 


258 

Pendleton,  as  he,  too,  gripped  his  friend  by  the 
hand.  “ Here  you  are — you  whom  I have  heard 
discourse  so  wisely  about  such  affairs  as  this — 

the  folly  and  the  vanity  of  it,  and  the ” but  he 

paused,  snapped  his  fingers  and  turned  to  his  wife. 
“ I know  what  it  is  ! He’s  here  on  business.” 

Mrs.  Pendleton  gestured  her  dismay. 

“Not  that,  surely,”  she  said.  “There  can 
scarcely  be  anything  here  to  attract  your  talents,” 
laughingly  to  the  secret  agent.  “ Ambassadors 
are  the  frankest  of  men,  and  their  doings  are  open 
to  every  one.” 

“ The  Baroness  and  Edyth  are  cronies,”  Pendle- 
ton informed  the  other,  as  his  wife  turned  to  the 
hostess.  The  latter’s  expression  as  Mrs.  Pendle- 
ton spoke  to  her  in  a low  tone  changed  formal 
politeness  to  one  of  interest. 

“ Oh ! ” she  said  ; “ my  dear.  I’m  afraid  of  him. 
And  so,”  smiling  to  Ashton-Kirk,  “ you  are  the 
remarkable  person  of  whom  Mrs.  Pendleton  has 
spoken  so  often  ? Well,  if  I ever  become  involved 
in  a mystery,  I promise  to  call  in  no  one  but  you.” 

“ I shall  be  flattered  by  your  confidence,”  said 
Ashton-Kirk  in  the  same  light  tone.  “ But,  I 
warn  you,  Mrs.  Pendleton  is  scarcely  to  be  de- 
pended upon  as  regards  my  work.  She  allowed 
herself  to  be  dazzled  by  a trifling  dexterity,  so  to 
speak,  and  makes  a very  wonderful  performance 
of  something  that  was  not  at  all  remarkable.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


259 


“ Oh,  these  modest  men,”  sighed  the  Baroness. 
“The  world  is  so  full  of  them.”  In  turn  she 
spoke  a few  words  to  her  husband.  His  big 
German  head  reared,  and  he  curled  the  upstand- 
ing points  of  his  moustache. 

“ I have  heard  of  you,  sir,”  and  his  blue  eyes 
searched  the  secret  agent,  from  head  to  foot. 

“ The  old  boy  seems  somewhat  miffed,”  whis- 
pered Pendleton  to  Fuller ; “ I wonder  what’s 
wrong?  ” 

” He  probably  does  not  fancy  being  interfered 
with,”  said  Fuller,  and  he  shrugged  his  shoulders 
wisely. 

"Why,”  and  Pendleton  looked  astonished,  “you 

don’t  mean  to  say  that  he ” here  he  paused 

and  his  glance  was  full  of  inquiry. 

" No,  nothing  directly,”  answered  Fuller.  “Just 
a little  affair  that  seems  to  have  been  put  up  to 
him,  that’s  all.” 

There  was  a brief,  low-pitched  conversation 
between  Ashton-Kirk  and  Von  Stunnenberg. 
The  latter’s  manner  was  one  of  massive  dignity  ; 
and  not  once  while  he  spoke  did  he  take  his  light- 
colored  eyes  from  the  face  of  the  secret  agent. 
But  if  he  expected  to  read  anything  there,  he  was 
disappointed.  Ashton-Kirk  was  smilingly  candid, 
genially  open.  But  he  said  nothing  that  would 
throw  light  upon  his  errand  there  that  night.  The 
Baron  had  served  under  Bismark,  and  his  methods 


ASHTON-KIRK 


260 

were  identical  with  those  of  the  great  chancellor — 
the  sappers  worked  constantly  under  cover  of  a 
blunt  manner  and  pointed  speech. 

But  in  this  case  the  blunt  manner  pounded 
vainly  against  an  impregnable  wall  of  practised 
assurance ; and  the  pointed  speeches  met  with  a 
flashing  defense.  Impatiently  the  old  diplomat 
twisted  his  white  moustache  ; and  rather  angrily 
he  drew  off  his  sappers,  for  they  were  useless 
except  under  cover  of  their  more  obvious 
brethren. 

“ I thank  you,  sir,”  said  he,  with  a bow.  “ To 
have  seen  you  is  a pleasure.  And  now  you  will 
pardon  me,  I know.” 

A little  later  Ashton-Kirk  sat  with  Mrs.  Pen- 
dleton in  a secluded  corner. 

“Now,”  she  said,  holding  up  one  finger,  “tell 
me  all  about  it.  Don’t  try  to  deceive  me.  I 
know  the  Baron  Von  Stunnenberg  very  well,  and 
have  never  seen  him  assume  that  manner  of  a 
few  moments  ago  unless  there  was  something  of 
much  importance  going  forward.” 

“ The  Baron  flatters  me  by  his  manner,”  smiled 
Ashton-Kirk.  “ It  puts  me  in  quite  a glow  to 
think  that  I am  so  noticed  in  high  places.” 

She  laughed  musically  ; but  her  eyes  were  not 
without  their  gravity. 

“ I know  you  of  old,”  she  said  ; “ you  will  tell 
nothing  until  you  are  ready.  That  characteristic 


SECRET  AGENT 


261 

made  me  afraid  of  you  once ; but  in  the  midst  of 
the  fear  there  was  a good  deal  of  admiration,”  she 
confessed  with  a nod  of  her  stately  head.  “If 
you  impress  every  one  as  you  impressed  me — 
that  is,  every  one  you  are  working  against — I 
don’t  wonder  you  always  succeed.  Even  while  I 
planned,  I knew  that  I could  not  hide  from  you 
that  which  you  wished  to  know.” 

“ You  were  clever,”  he  said ; “ and  you  were 
resourceful.  You  lacked  only  experience.”  While 
he  spoke  his  eyes  went  about  from  place  to  place 
as  though  seeking  some  one.  “ Are  you  ac- 
quainted with  many  here  to-night?”  he  asked. 

“ Not  many,”  was  the  answer.  She  noticed 
the  roving  of  the  singular  eyes,  and  her  interest 
quickened.  “ Did  you  expect  to  see  some  one  ? ” 
she  inquired. 

He  nodded. 

“ I wonder  if  I know  who  it  is  ? ” She  paused 
for  an  answer,  but  he  seemed  not  to  hear,  and  so 
she  went  on : “ Some  one  who  has  done  some- 

thing amiss.  Poor  thing ! Do  you  know,  I feel 
sorry  for  him.”  Then,  after  a pause : “ A man, 

of  course.” 

He  shook  his  head. 

“ It’s  a woman  ! ” Her  voice  lifted.  “ It’s  a 
woman  ! ” she  repeated.  “ Oh,  poor  creature ! ” 

She  turned  upon  him  two  fine  eyes  filled  with 
concern. 


262 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ Perhaps  it’s  a girl,”  she  said.  “ A girl  much 
like  I was — one  who  can  confide  in  no  one,  or  has 
no  one  whom  she  can  trust.  Tell  me,  what  is 
her ” 

Just  then,  in  the  midst  of  a group  which  was 
about  separating,  Ashton-Kirk  caught  sight  of 
Stella  Corbin.  Mrs.  Pendleton  noted  his  expres- 
sion ; her  eyes  followed  the  direction  of  his  own. 
And  when  they  rested  upon  the  slight,  girlish 
figure  and  saw  the  eager,  frightened  look,  she 
turned  upon  him. 

“ For  shame,”  she  said,  reproachfully.  “ Oh, 
for  shame  ! ” 

” You  know  her  then  ? ” said  he  quietly. 

“ I only  know  that  she  is  an  English  girl  and 
came  here  with  Madame  Steinmetz.  But,”  and 
her  brilliant,  challenging  glance  met  his  own 
squarely,  ” I know  that  she  has  done  nothing. 
A girl  who  looks  like  that  could  not  do  anything 
very  wrong.” 

“ It  is  not  always  well  to  judge  by  appearances,” 
said  he,  quietly.  ” Physiognomists  place  great 
confidence  in  their  power  to  read  faces  ; but  theirs 
is  scarcely  an  exact  science.” 

She  sat  regarding  him  steadfastly  ; then  nodded 
and  said : 

“ That  is  mere  evasion.  I recognize  the  ruse, 
for  I have  met  it  once  or  twice  before.  You  draw 
upon  generalities  when  questioned  in  a specific 


SECRET  AGENT 


263 

instance ; and  if  your  questioner  takes  that  as  a 
direct  answer,  you  do  not  trouble  yourself  to  put 
him  or  her  right.” 

He  smiled. 

“ I said  that  you  needed  only  experience,”  he 
remarked. 

Just  then  a sleek  little  form  came  rolling  into 
view ; the  rosy  face,  shining  bald  head  and  the 
decoration  were  familiar  to  the  secret  agent. 

“ Mrs.  Pendleton,”  said  the  German,  and  he 
nodded  and  waved  his  hand,  “ I am  given  much 
pleasure  to  see  you.” 

“ How  do  you  do.  Colonel  Stelzner  ? ” she  re- 
plied. Then  inquiringly : “ You  have  met  Mr. 

Ashton-Kirk?” 

“ I have  met  him,  yes,  but  I have  not  before 
caught  the  name.”  Colonel  Stelzner  bowed  until 
his  gleaming  scalp  was  fully  in  view.  “ It  grati- 
fies me,  sir,  to  know  so  famous  a person,”  he  con- 
cluded. 

“ Ah,  you,  too,  have  heard  of  him  ? ” Mrs. 
Pendleton  smiled,  mischievously.  The  little  Ger- 
man again  waved  his  hand. 

“ Who  has  not  ? ” he  demanded.  “ Every  one,” 
authoritatively,  “ on  both  sides  of  the  ocean.  That 
is,”  and  the  hand  was  held  up  as  though  begging 
a moment’s  delay  in  her  judgment,  “ every  one 
who  is  interested  such  matters  in.” 

Here  Pendleton  came  up  with  some  friends  to 


ASHTON-KIRK 


264 

whom  he  presented  the  secret  agent ; a few  mo- 
ments later  a man-servant  approached  the  latter 
and  said  something  to  him.  Ashton-Kirk  asked 
to  be  pardoned  and  followed  the  servant  out  of 
the  room.  But  Mrs.  Pendleton  took  no  notice  of 
all  this ; she  gave  all  her  attention  to  the  little 
German.  He  polished  his  glittering  scalp  and 
chuckled. 

“ Most  secret  agents,”  he  went  on,  “ are  un- 
known to  the  public.  They  cherish  the  fancy  that 
they  are  also  unknown  to  the  diplomatic  corps  ; 
but  it  is  only  fancy.  Those  who  are  unknown 
personally  are  recognized  by  their  methods.  Ach 
ja ! They  are  as  open  as  the  day.  A man 
who  no  eyes  has  could  see  it ! But  he  ” — and  he 
indicated  the  spot  where  Ashton-Kirk  had  stood 
with  one  plump  forefinger — “ there  is  one  who  is 
not  like  the  others.  No,  no,”  he  shook  his  head 
and  his  phuckle  grew  more  pronounced,  he  is 
much  different.” 

Ashton-Kirk  returned  in  a few  moments,  and 
was  soon  talking  generally  with  Pendleton’s 
friends,  who  were  mostly  young  people  who 
laughed  a great  deal.  And  while  he  did  not  miss 
a word  of  what  was  said,  neither  did  he  once  take 
his  eyes  from  that  point  where  Stella  Corbin  still 
sat.  With  her  was  a small,  vivacious,  pretty 
woman,  undoubtedly  French,  whose  gestures  were 
most  eloquent  and  the  play  of  whose  eyes  alone 


SECRET  AGENT  265 

was  almost  sufficient  to  tell  a close  observer  what 
she  was  saying.  Some  little  distance  away  was  a 
heavy  jowled  man  with  thick  black  brows  and  a 
slow  way  of  turning  his  small  head  ; in  close  con- 
versation with  him  was  a slighter  man,  blond, 
and  with  a short,  pointed  beard.  And,  for  all 
their  apparent  occupation  in  each  other’s  words, 
their  glances  kept  constantly  going  toward  Miss 
Corbin  and  her  companion  ; each  movement  made 
by  them  seemed  a matter  of  intense  interest. 

And  in  this  they  were  not  alone.  Behind  where 
the  girl  sat  ran  a massive  marble  staircase  which 
led  to  a sort  of  balcony,  palm-lined  and  used  as  a 
resting-place  by  tired  dancers,  and  a point  of  van- 
tage by  those  who  merely  desired  to  look  on.  At 
the  top  of  the  staircase,  seated  beneath  a wide- 
spreading  and  flowering  plant,  were  Matsadi,  and 
— yes,  it  was  Okiu  ! 

Fuller  caught  sight  of  this  latter  pair  much 
about  the  same  time  as  his  employer.  The  secret 
agent  nodded  in  answer  to  the  young  man’s  low, 
SLirpi'ised  whisper. 

“Yes,  I just  noticed  them,”  he  said. 

Fuller  turned  his  glance  from  Okiu  to  Stella 
Corbin  ; that  he  was  puzzled  was  frankly  shown. 

“ This  is  a rather  queer  situation,”  he  said,  in  a 
low,  careful  tone  to  Ashton-Kirk.  “ Japan  wanted 
that  paper  in  the  worst  way ; and  this  Corbin  girl 
stood  in  with  Okiu  in  an  effort  to  gain  possession 


266 


ASHTON-KIRK 


of  it  for  that  government.  And  now,  with  the 
document  in  their  possession,  they  begin  a flirta- 
tion, so  to  speak,  with  the  Germans.” 

But  the  secret  agent  made  no  reply  to  this  ex- 
cept to  give  his  helper  a warning  look  ; then  he 
plunged  into  the  conversation  which  the  others 
were  carrying  on  animatedly. 

The  eyes  of  the  beautiful  Mrs.  Pendleton  had 
kept  Stella  Corbin  well  within  range ; both  the 
girl  and  her  companion  seemed  to  interest  her 
greatly. 

“ And  so,”  she  said  to  Colonel  Stelzner,  “ you 
think  Mr.  Ashton-Kirk  very  different  from  the 
other  government  agents  ? ” 

He  gestured  with  both  hands. 

” As  different  as  the  sun  from  the  stars,”  de- 
clared he.  “ The  mastery  of  his  art  has  been  to 
him  given.  Every  one  knows  him  by  sight ; every 
one  knows  him  for  what  he  is.  And  yet  he  works 
in  such  a way  that  his  hand  is  not  noticed  until  it 
has  closed,”  here  he  pantomimed  expansively, 
“ and  what  he  has  been  seeking  is  in  its  grasp.” 

The  dance  music  came  to  them  in  svi^aying, 
stirring  strains ; the  low  laughter  and  sound  of 
gliding  feet  came  with  it. 

” Madame  Von  Steinmetz,”  spoke  Mrs.  Pendle- 
ton, after  a few  moments,  “is  a remarkably  ex- 
pressive woman.” 

The  eyes  of  the  little  German  went  to  the  lady 


SECRET  AGENT 


267 

who  was  conversing  with  Stella  Corbin.  His 
shoulders  shrugged  and  his  hands  opened  wide. 

“ It  is  her  race,”  he  said.  “ The  French  are 
mostly  so.  There  is  her  husband,  now,”  and  his 
gaze  singled  out  the  man  with  the  pointed  blond 
beard  ; “ he  is  German,  and  has  little  of  the  char- 
acteristics which  mark  her.” 

” How  long  have  they  been  married  ? ” asked 
Mrs.  Pendleton. 

“ About  ten  years,  I believe.” 

“ So  long  as  that  I ” She  seemed  greatly  sur- 
prised. “ I thought  that  men  did  not  remain  in 
love  with  their  wives  for  so  great  a length  of 
time.  And  yet  he  is  much  in  love  with  her.  See, 
he  can’t  keep  his  eyes  from  her.” 

Colonel  Stelzner’s  little  round  body  shook  as 
probably  it  had  never  shaken  before.  He  chuck- 
led and  gasped ; the  tears  stood  in  his  eyes. 

“ Oh,  you  ladies ! ” he  said  at  last.  “ Oh,  you 
ladies,  you  see  everything ! Nothing  escapes 
you.”  Again  he  shook  and  chuckled  and  gasped. 
But  finally  he  recovered,  wiped  his  eyes  and  went 
on  : “ Ah,  yes,  I suppose  Von  Steinmetz  is  des- 

perately in  love  with  madame.  And  why  not? 
She  is  charming.” 

“Who  is  that  with  Von  Steinmetz?”  she 
asked. 

“That?  Oh,”  and  the  round  little  colonel 
nodded  his  head  knowingly,  “ that  is  Hoffer.” 


268 


ASHTON-KIRK 


Her  eyes  lingered  upon  the  large-jowled  man 
for  a moment.  She  had  heard  of  him. 

“ I trust,”  she  smiled,  “ that  Herr  Hoffer  is  not 
also  in  love  with  Madame  Von  Steinmetz.” 

Stelzner  chuckled. 

It  is  not  possible  that  you  think  he  might  be,” 
he  protested. 

” Well,  he  seems  inclined  to  pay  her  as  much 
attention  as  her  husband.  His  eyes  never  move 
from  her.” 

“ Oh,”  gasped  Colonel  Stelzner,  ” you  will  be 
the  death  of  me,  Mrs.  Pendleton  ; you  really  will  1” 
And  when  he  had  recovered  from  the  fit  of  laugh- 
ter into  which  her  observation  had  thrown  him, 
he  added : “ But  consider,  Madame  von  Steinmetz 
is  not  alone.  Could  it  not  be  possible  that  Hoffer 
is  interested  in  the  English  girl  ? ” 

Her  fine  eyes  were  fixed  directly  upon  his  face, 
as  she  said : 

“ Ah,  that  is  it.” 

There  was  something  in  her  tone  which  drove 
the  laugh  from  his  face ; he  answered  soberly 
enough. 

“ I ask  if  it  were  not  possible  ; that  is  all.” 

People  who  talk  too  much  upon  subjects  re- 
garding which  it  is  best  that  they  be  silent  often 
get  glimpses  of  their  weakness.  And  Colonel 
Stelzner  had  such  a flash  of  inner  vision  just  then. 
And  while  he  was,  more  or  less  dismayed,  think- 


SECRET  AGENT  269 

ing  it  over,  Mrs.  Pendleton  discovered  Matsadi 
and  Okiu  at  the  head  of  the  staircase. 

The  interest  which  they  displayed  in  the  two 
women  immediately  attracted  her ; and  once  more 
she  turned  to  the  little  colonel. 

“ The  two  Japanese  now,  which  of  the  ladies  at- 
tracts them — the  English  or  the  French?” 

The  usually  rosy  face  of  Stelzner  was  rather 
gray  as  he  replied,  and  the  chuckle  so  habitual  to 
him  had  given  place  to  a wan  smile. 

“The  Japanese?”  said  he.  “Oh,  yes,  those 
two  up  there,  of  course.  I have  found,”  with  the 
air  of  a man  speaking  more  or  less  at  random, 
“ that  the  Occidental  types  of  women  interest 
Orientals.  Oh,  yes  ; it  is  much  so.  I have  known 

Japanese  to  admire Ah,  Hoffer,  how  do  you 

do?” 

The  heavy  man,  accompanied  by  Von  Stein- 
metz,  was  moving  by,  and  Stelzner  grasped  at 
their  passing  as  a shipwrecked  seaman  might 
grasp  at  a spar.  Reluctantly,  so  it  seemed,  the 
two  men  paused  ; and  the  beautiful  Mrs.  Pendle- 
ton smiled  as  she  bent  her  head  to  the  salutation 
of  Von  Steinmetz. 

“ Your  wife,”  she  said,  “ is  lovely  to-night.  We 
have  just  been  admiring  her.” 

The  husband  seemed  none  too  pleased  at  this; 
he  fingered  his  short,  light-colored  beard  and  his 
small  blue  eyes  went  to  the  lady  in  question. 


ASHTON-KIRK 


270 

“It  occurred  to  me  also,”  he  said,  “that  she 
looked  well.  But  then,”  and  he  smiled  a little, 
“ I think  she  usually  looks  so.” 

“You  are  a good  husband,”  and  Mrs.  Pendle- 
ton laughed  lightly.  “ Madame  should  be  proud 
of  you.  But,”  and  she  arched  her  brows  in  won- 
der, “ what  an  exceedingly  interesting  girl  Miss 
Corbin  must  be.  See  how  she  holds  madame’s 
attention ! Even  the  slightest  gesture  seems 
loaded  with  meaning.” 

The  slim  fingers  of  Von  Steinmetz  tugged  at 
the  pointed  beard ; Hoffer  turned  his  head  with 
his  peculiarly  slow  motion  toward  the  speaker  and 
his  eyes  searched  her  face.  But  there  was  noth- 
ing there  but  smiles  and  bright  looks  and  admira- 
tion for  what  she  apparently  considered  a marked 
talent. 

That  Madame  Von  Steinmetz  seemed  greatly 
interested  in  what  Stella  Corbin  said  was  plain 
enough ; her  eloquent  hands  were  still ; her  eyes 
had  ceased  their  byplay  and  centered  themselves 
upon  the  girl’s  face.  This  latter  was  even  paler 
than  usual,  and  her  face  seemed  a trifle  set ; her 
attitude  was  one  that  told  of  suppressed  excite- 
ment. 

In  a throaty  German  which  was  sharply  dis- 
tressing, Hoffer  began  relating  a heavy  anecdote. 
Both  Von  Steinmetz  and  Stelzner  gave  it  much 
attention,  but  Mrs.  Pendleton,  while  she  listened, 


SECRET  AGENT 


271 

never  took  her  eyes  from  Stella  Corbin  and  her 
companion. 

For  the  girl  had  ceased  speaking  and  leaned 
back  in  her  chair  as  though  exhausted ; Madame 
Von  Steinmetz,  her  vivacious  countenance  illu- 
mined, was  carefully  outlining  something  for  the 
girl’s  benefit.  Hoffer  finished  the  anecdote  and 
his  two  friends  laughed  eagerly ; Mrs.  Pendleton 
smiled  and  nodded  her  appreciation  though  it  is 
doubtful  if  she  had  heard  much  of  it.  To  Von 
Steinmetz  she  said  : 

“ How  wonderfully  expressive  your  wife’s  man- 
ner is  ! See,  it  is  almost  as  if  we  could  hear  what 
she  is  saying ! ” 

That  Von  Steinmetz  would  have  vastly  pre- 
ferred his  lady’s  manner  to  have  been  less  won- 
derful was  evident ; his  blue  eyes  were  cold  with 
disapproval;  the  pointed  beard  was  twisted  and 
tugged  painfully. 

And  while  she  was  manifesting  this  interest  in 
Miss  Corbin  and  the  French  woman,  Mrs.  Pendle- 
ton did  not  altogether  lose  sight  of  Ashton-Kirk. 
She  noted  that,  in  a few  minutes,  he  drew  away 
from  the  group  of  which  her  husband  made  one ; 
and  also  she  noted  that  his  eyes,  though  they  did 
not  seem  to  do  so,  never  lost  a movement  made 
by  Stella  Corbin. 

The  two  Japanese,  as  though  they  had  caught 
sight  of  some  one  or  something  upon  the  lower 


272  ASHTON-KIRK 

floor,  had  suddenly  arisen  and  descended  the 
staircase. 

“ The  Senora  Maselli,”  murmured  Mrs.  Pendle- 
ton, as  she  saw  Matsadi  speak  to  a beautiful,  dark- 
eyed woman,  evidently  an  Italian.  “ He  is  ask- 
ing her  to  sing.” 

And  that  Senora  Maselli  was  willing  to  do  so 
was  apparent ; for  she  took  Matsadi’s  arm  and 
they  crossed  to  a room,  the  door  of  which  was 
only  a few  feet  from  where  Miss  Corbin  and 
Madame  Von  Steinmetz  sat.  Okiu,  however,  re- 
mained behind ; and  as  Matsadi  was  passing 
through  the  door,  he  turned  to  look  over  his 
shoulder  toward  his  countryman  which,  to  a close 
observer,  seemed  full  of  significance. 

Madame  Von  Steinmetz  still  talked,  eagerly, 
with  her  hands,  eyes  and  tongue.  It  were  as 
though,  as  Mrs.  Pendleton  thought,  the  English 
girl  had  pictured  some  dilemma  in  which  she 
stood  and  the  French  woman  was  pointing  the 
way  out.  More  than  once  Miss  Corbin's  hands 
had  gone  toward  the  bag  which  hung  from  her 
arm  ; but  each  time  they  left  it  unopened,  as 
though  she  were  not  altogether  persuaded. 

“ But,”  Mrs.  Pendleton  told  herself  with  convic- 
tion, “ she  will  do  it  in  the  end.  When  one  is 
anxious  to  take  advice,  one  usually  does  so.” 

The  dance  music  had  stopped  some  little  time 
before ; now  came  the  notes  of  a piano,  almost 


SECRET  AGENT 


273 

immediately  followed  by  the  rush  and  ring  of  a 
human  voice.  Heads  were  turned,  laughter 
stopped,  voices  ceased.  Then  there  was  a stir. 

“ It  is  Maselli,”  ran  the  whisper. 

A movement  began  toward  the  room  from 
which  the  singing  proceeded.  In  a moment  Mrs. 
Pendleton’s  view  of  Stella  Corbin  was  cut  off  by 
the  eager  and  somewhat  undignified  scamper ; 
through  the  press  she  saw  the  sleek,  black  head 
of  Okiu  and,  at  no  great  distance,  caught  a 
glimpse  of  Ashton-Kirk. 

A sort  of  fluttering  assailed  her  ear-drums ; it 
were  as  though  the  air  were  charged  with  an  im- 
pending, unseen  something.  A feeling  of  sus- 
pense filled  her ; she  was  astonished  to  feel  her- 
self possessed  by  an  almost  irresistible  desire  to 
cry  out  a warning  to  some  indefinite  person.  And 
apparently  she  was  not  alone  in  her  impression, 
for  now  she  saw  Hoffer,  his  great  jaws  rigid,  al- 
most thrusting  his  way  forward  among  the  guests  ; 
Von  Steinmetz  and  Stelzner  were  also  on  the  move, 
and  from  different  directions. 

Suddenly  there  was  a pistol  shot ; startled  cries 
rang  out ; the  throng  split  as  though  divided  by 
a great  knife.  And  as  it  fell  asunder  there  arose 
another  cry,  higher  and  in  a different  key.  The 
first  had  been  the  outcry  of  those  who  felt  harm 
impending  ; the  second  was  that  of  a single  person, 
and  one  upon  whom  the  harm  had  fallen. 


ASHTON-KIRK 


274 

It  was  Miss  Corbin ; Mrs.  Pendleton  could  see 
her  as  she  stood  white  and  startled,  staring  at  the 
silken  bag  which  she  held  in  her  hands.  Upon 
one  side  of  her  stood  Madame  Von  Steinmetz, 
aghast,  trembling  with  shock ; upon  the  other 
stood  Ashton-Kirk,  imperturbable  and  keen  eyed. 

For  an  instant  the  affrighted  guests  swayed 
upon  the  verge  of  panic ; then  like  oil  upon 
troubled  waters,  soothing  words  were  spoken  and 
explanations  suavely  proffered.  A young  man, 
who  looked  very  red  and  foolish,  had  dropped  and 
exploded  a chamber  of  a newly  invented  revolver, 
which  he  had  brought  to  exhibit  to  an  influential 
official  whom  he  expected  to  meet.  And  in  the 
ensuing  excitement.  Miss  Corbin  had  lost  a cher- 
ished trifle  which  would  no  doubt  be  found 
shortly. 

Startled  people  are  always  anxious  to  be  con- 
vinced that  there  is  no  occasion  for  their  alarm ; 
and  so,  more  or  less  satisfied.  Von  Stunnenberg’s 
guests  broke  into  laughter  and  relieved  chatter. 

Passing  through  little  groups,  all  absorbed  in 
the  enjoyment  of  relating  their  mutual  sensations, 
Ashton-Kirk  made  his  way  toward  the  hall.  His 
step  was  unhurried,  his  manner  nonchalant ; he 
spoke  lightly  to  a number  of  people  as  he  went 
by. 

As  he  turned  into  the  hall,  Mrs.  Pendleton  fol- 
lowed ; she  saw  him  disappear  into  the  coat  room. 


SECRET  AGENT 


275 

and  reappear  a moment  later,  his  overcoat  on  and 
his  hat  in  his  hand.  And  at  the  same  instant  she 
saw  him  confronted  by  the  burly  forms  of  Hoffer 
and  the  Baron  Von  Stunnenberg. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


What  Von  Stunnenberg  Thought 

For  a moment  the  secret  agent  and  the  two 
Germans  stood  face  to  face ; then  the  former  said, 
smilingly : 

“ I am  sorry  to  be  forced  to  go  at  such  an  early 
hour ; but,”  and  he  lifted  his  brows  in  such  a way 
that  might  mean  much  or  little,  “ there  are  certain 
things  which  require  my  attention.” 

Von  Stunnenberg  twisted  one  point  of  his  white 
moustache,  and  his  blue  eyes  glinted  coldly. 

“ It  would  grieve  me  to  keep  you  from  your 
affairs,”  said  he  in  his  rumbling  voice,  “ but  there 
is  a trifling  matter  which  I should  like  to  discuss 
with  you.  It  will  require,  perhaps,  only  a few 
moments.  The  length  of  time  altogether  depends 
upon  yourself.” 

” I shall  be  only  too  glad,”  said  Ashton-Kirk, 
agreeably.  He  glanced  at  his  watch  and  then 
added : " But  since  you  say  that  the  length  of 

time  depends  upon  me,  I will  make  it  as  short  as 
possible.  It  is  more  than  likely  that  my  presence 
will  be  urgently  needed  quite  a little  distance  from 
here  in  perhaps  half  an  hour.” 

276 


SECRET  AGENT 


277 


There  was  a small  room  at  one  side,  and  the 
German  ambassador  entered  this,  followed  by  the 
others. 

“Will  you  sit  down?”  he  asked  with  grave 
politeness. 

The  secret  agent  did  so.  Hoffer  also  seated 
himself ; his  small  head  was  drawn  down  upon  his 
big  shoulders,  the  heavy  face  worked  spasmod- 
ically ; the  veins  and  cords  of  his  tightly  clinched 
hands  stood  out  in  high  relief. 

“ It  would  be  a waste  of  time  for  us  to  indulge 
in  any  preamble,”  spoke  Von  Stunnenberg,  coldly. 
“ I know  why  you  came  here  to-night ; and  I know 
that  you  have  been  in  some  degree  successful  in 
your  errand.  And  so,  as  that  ground  is  covered, 
there  is  no  need  to  go  over  it  again.” 

Ashton-Kirk  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  and  his 
white,  even  teeth  shone  as  he  smiled. 

“ I have  always  found  it  best  to  examine  my 
ground ; leaping  over  it  is  seldom  satisfactory,” 
said  he.  “ You  say  that  you  know  why  I came 
here  to-night.  We  will  not  discuss  that  if  you  are 
opposed  to  so  doing,”  and  again  the  quick  smile 
showed  itself.  “ But  as  to  your  knowing  I have 
been  in  some  degree  successful,  that  is  open  to 
debate.” 

Hoffer  protruded  his  small  head,  slowly,  much 
as  a turtle  might  do. 

“ Of  course,”  said  he,  “ we  expected  you  to  deny 


ASHTON-KIRK 


278 

it.  But  your  making  a statement  and  our  accept- 
ing it  are  two  different  matters.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded. 

“To  be  sure,”  said  he,  calmly. 

Hoffer  was  about  to  say  something  more ; but 
his  chief  held  up  a hand. 

“ A certain  instrument  was  about  to  pass  into 
my  possession  to-night,”  said  Von  Stunnenbergto 
Ashton-Kirk.  “ You  knew  of  this  and  came  here 
to  prevent  our  being  entrusted  with  it  if  you  could. 
You  are  an  able  man,  Mr.  Ashton-Kirk,  but  do 
not  forget  that  we  still  have  the  faculty  of  vision. 
Neither  are  we  in  the  habit  of  allowing  things  to 
be  taken  from  beneath  our  noses.” 

“ You  represent  a friendly  power,”  said  Ashton- 
Kirk,  coldly,  “and  of  course  could  have  no  de- 
sire in  the  matter  of  the  instrument  in  question 
other  than  to  hand  it  with  your  compliments  to 
this  government.” 

Von  Stunnenberg  nodded. 

“Of  course,”  said  Hoffer. 

“ And  it  was  so  understood  by  others  and  my- 
self,” proceeded  Ashton-Kirk.  “ But  there  was  a 
chance — I am  perfectly  frank,  you  see — that  there 
might  be  a desire  upon  your  part  to  make  sure 
that  the  document  in  question  was  really  what  you 
supposed  it.  To  venture  to  examine  it  would  be 
a matter  of  delicacy,”  and  the  speaker’s  voice  was 
suavity  itself,  “ and  so  I concluded  that  it  were  a 


SECRET  AGENT 


279 

rather  friendly  thing  to  save  you  any  mental 
wrench  of  that  sort  by  anticipating  you.” 

“ That,”  said  Von  Stunnenberg,  and  the  smooth- 
ness of  his  voice  was  not  a whit  behind  that  of  the 
other,  “ was  most  considerate  of  you.  Accept  my 
thanks.  But,”  and  his  blue  eyes  were  wide  open 
in  the  fixity  of  the  look  which  he  directed  toward 
the  secret  agent,  “ we  would  much  prefer  to  as- 
sume our  own  responsibilities.” 

There  was  a short  pause,  then  the  ambassador 
leaned  a trifle  toward  the  other. 

“ And  so,”  he  resumed,  “ I should  take  it  as  a 
further  expression  of  your  good-will  if  you  would 
hand  the  paper  to  me  immediately.” 

Ashton-Kirk  rose  and  looked  at  his  watch  once 
more. 

“ My  time  is  short,”  said  he.  “ So  if  there  is 
anything  of  importance,  I beg  that  you  mention  it 
at  once.” 

Von  Stunnenberg  twisted  his  up-pointing 
moustache  ; his  blue  eyes  were  like  ice,  his  man- 
ner was  grim  and  menacing. 

“ There  is  nothing  to  be  gained  by  this  attitude,” 
said  he.  “ We  are  not  children  to  be  so  deceived.” 

“ You  are  not  children  to  be  so  deceived,” 
Ashton-Kirk  smiled  as  he  repeated  the  ambassa- 
dor’s w'ords.  “ Perhaps  not ; but  Matsadi  appar- 
ently fancied  it  not  very  difficult  when  he  arranged 
his  little  scene  a few  minutes  ago.” 


28o 


ASHTON-KIRK 


Von  Stunnenberg  cast  a quick  look  at  Hoffer. 
The  latter’s  small  head  turned  slowly  upon  the 
secret  agent. 

“ Matsadi  did  arrange  the  scene,”  said  he,  and 
there  was  admiration  in  his  voice.  “No  stage 
manager  could  have  done  better.  He  had  not 
watched  the  English  girl  more  than  a moment 
when  he  saw — as  did  you  and  I,”  with  a conclusive 
wave  of  the  hand,  “ that  the  papers  desired  were 
in  the  bag  at  her  side.  At  sight  of  the  Italian 
woman  he  grasped  his  opportunity  for  creating  a 
momentary  ruffle  ; in  the  midst  of  this,  at  a signal, 
his  confederate  allowed  the  revolver  to  explode,  so 
transforming  the  slight  confusion  into  a panic. 
During  this  his  agent  was  to  abstract  the  docu- 
ment.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded,  after  the  manner  of  one 
workman  exchanging  experiences  with  another. 

“ That  was  not  all  that  I saw,”  went  on  Hoffer. 
“ I saw  Matsadi’s  agent  making  his  way  toward 
Miss  Corbin  to  play  his  part,  before  the  dis- 
charge of  the  revolver.  Also,”  and  the  big  jaws 
tightened,  “ I saw  you  doing  your  best  to  antici- 
pate him.” 

Ashton-Kirk  laughed,  and  there  was  an  odd 
expression  in  his  singular  eyes. 

“ Was  there  nothing  more  that  you  noticed  ? ” 
he  asked. 

“ It  was  sufficient,”  put  in  Von  Stunnenberg, 


SECRET  AGENT 


281 


grimly,  “that  he  saw  you  reach  the  girl’s  side 
before  the  Japanese.  And,  if  anything  more  were 
needed,  an  instant  after  you  got  within  reaching 
distance.  Miss  Corbin  discovered  that  the  papers 
were  gone.” 

“ And  that  Okiu  was  bafHed,”  said  Hoffer,  “ one 
had  only  to  give  him  a glance  to  discover.  The 
rage  in  his  face  showed  that  you  had  beaten  them 
— that  you  had  taken  the  prize  out  of  their  own 
trap.” 

Ashton- Kirk  laughed  once  more. 

“ My  dear  sir,”  said  he,  “ you  credit  me  with  a 
dexterity  which  I do  not  possess.  It  is  true  that  I 

did ” he  paused  and  then  turned  to  Hoffer. 

“ Aside  from  Okiu,  did  you  see  any  one  else — of 
Matsadi’s  ? ” 

“ No.” 

“ Upon  the  fact  that  I reached  Miss  Corbin’s 
side  before  Okiu  you  base  your  belief  that  I must 
have  secured  the  paper.”  Ashton-Kirk  placed  his 
finger  tips  together  with  great  nicety,  and  then 
looked  placidly  at  Hoffer.  “ Have  you  encoun- 
tered Matsadi  before  this  ? ” 

“ I have,”  answered  the  German. 

“ In  that  you  have  the  advantage  of  me.  But 
from  what  I have  heard  of  him,  he  is  a man  who 
plans  with  considerable  effect.  Is  it  likely,”  and 
he  bent  toward  the  other  slightly,  “ that  he  would 
stop  at  one  man  in  the  crowd  ? ” 


282 


ASHTON-KIRK 


The  thick  jowls  of  Hoffer  bulged,  and  a dull  red 
crept  into  his  face. 

“You  mean ” he  got  this  far  and  then 

stopped.  “You  think,”  he  continued,  after  a 
moment,  “ that  there  were  more  than  Okiu?” 

“ / know  it,"  said  Ashton-Kirk.  “ I counted  at 
least  three.  Matsadi  is  not  restricted  to  the  use 
of  his  own  countrymen.  The  man  who  dropped 
the  revolver,  for  example,  was  an  American.” 

At  that  moment  Fuller,  his  face  wearing  an 
anxious  expression,  looked  into  the  room.  Seeing 
Ashton-Kirk  he  hurried  to  him. 

“ This,”  said  he,  holding  out  a message,  “ was 
just  handed  in.  I told  the  man  that  I would  look 
you  up.” 

Ashton-Kirk  took  the  envelope,  murmured  an 
apology  and  tore  it  open.  There  were  but  a few 
lines,  and  he  read  them  at  a glance ; then  he 
handed  the  paper  to  Von  Stunnenberg  and 
arose. 

“ It  seems,”  said  he,  “ that  everything  is  about 
ready  for  me,  and  I really  must  go.” 

“ Saw  Matsadi  come  out  just  now,”  read  the 
German  ambassador.  “Two  men  who  had 
proceeded  him  signaled  from  across  the  street. 
He  joined  them  and  all  three  hurried  to  the 
Japanese  Embassy.  Have  building  surrounded 
and  am  awaiting  you. 


“ Culberson.” 


SECRET  AGENT  283 

Von  Stunnenberg  lifted  a crimson  face  as  he 
finished  the  message. 

“The  rats ! ” he  cried.  “ They  have  beaten 
me  ! ” He  handed  the  paper  back  to  the  secret 
agent ; as  he  did  so  his  countenance  cleared  some- 
what, and  he  smiled  grimly.  “ And  also,”  he 
added  with  some  appreciation,  “they  have  beaten 
you.” 

“ Not  quite,”  replied  Ashton-Kirk,  coolly,  as  he 
bottoned  up  his  long  coat.  “ I have  still  a card  to 
play.” 

“You  would  not  dare ” Hoffer  paused  as 

though  the  act  the  other  had  in  mind  were  too 
daring  to  even  put  into  words.  “ Not  in  a foreign 
embassy,”  he  added,  fearfully. 

But  the  secret  agent  smiled. 

“ If  the  search  for  what  I desire  leads  me  to  a 
foreign  embassy,  why  not  ? ” asked  he.  “ What  I 
ventured  in  the  .German  surely  I shall  not  hesitate 
to  repeat  in  the  Japanese.  And  now,  gentlemen, 
I must  say  good-night.” 

And  with  this  he  left  the  room  and  hurried  down 
the  hall,  Fuller  following  close  behind  him. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


Surprised  ! 

When  Ashton- Kirk  and  his  aide  reached  the 
sidewalk  a man  in  a cloth  cap  approached. 

“ Mr.  Culberson  is  awaiting  orders,”  said  he. 

“ Tell  him  to  call  off  his  men,”  replied  the  secret 
agent  promptly. 

Without  comment,  the  man  in  the  cloth  cap 
walked  away.  Fuller  was  amazed. 

“You  have  changed  your  plan  ?” 

“ Our  affairs  do  not  wear  the  aspect  they  bore 
when  I called  upon  the  Culberson  Agency  for  help,” 
said  the  secret  agent. 

There  was  an  unemployed  taxi-cab  by  the  curb  a 
little  distance  away ; they  got  into  this  and  in  a 
short  time  were  put  down  at  their  hotel.  The 
secret  agent  asked  some  question  of  the  clerk, 
which  the  latter  seemed  to  answer  in  the  negative ; 
then  they  ascended  to  Ashton-Kirk’s  apartments. 

The  secret  agent  threw  himself  into  a comfortable 
chair  and  drew  a tobacco  pouch  toward  him.  As 
he  rolled  a cigarette  he  said  : 

“We  must  lie  idle  until  I get  a call  from 
Burgess.” 

“ He  is  in  Washington,  then  ? ” 

284 


SECRET  AGENT 


285 

“ Yes  ; I had  a few  words  with  him  over  the 
wire  while  at  Von  Stunnenberg’s.  The  secretary 
told  him  that  1 was  there,” 

Through  the  open  window  the  drone  of  the 
night  could  be  heard.  It  was  now  perhaps  twc 
o’clock,  and  the  city  was  deep  in  sleep.  From 
somewhere  in  the  distance  a car  could  be  heard 
passing  now  and  then ; occasionally  the  smooth 
hum  of  a motor,  or  the  sharp  “ clup-clup  ” of  a 
cab  horse  sounded  nearer  at  hand.  In  silence  the 
two  young  men  sat  smoking  ; half  an  hour  went 
by  and  then  the  telephone  rang,  brusquely. 
Ashton-Kirk  sprang  to  the  receiver. 

“ Hello,”  said  he. 

The  voice  of  Burgess  made  reply. 

“ Everything  right,”  said  he.  “I  followed  them 
from  the  embassy  to  the  Tillinghast.” 

” The  Tillinghast ! ” 

“Yes,  I’m  speaking  to  you  from  there,” 

“ I will  be  with  you  in  a very  few  minutes.” 
Then  as  an  afterthought,  the  secret  agent  added, 
“ They  are  all  there,  I suppose.” 

“ They  all  came  here — yes.  And  they  held  a 
consultation  in  a small  reception  room  on  the 
second  floor.  After  this  the  young  fellow  went 
out.” 

“ I see.” 

“Those  men  of  Culberson’s  came  in  mighty 
handy.  One  of  them  followed  him.” 


286 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ He  has  not  returned  ? ” 

“ Not  yet.” 

“ Very  well.” 

Ashton-Kirk  hung  up  the  receiver,  and  reached 
for  his  overcoat. 

” Is  it  the  japs?”  asked  Fuller,  expectantly. 

But  the  secret  agent  shook  his  head. 

“No,”  said  he,  “it  is  not  the  Japs.  But,”  and 
the  other  noted  the  speculative  look  come  into  his 
singular  eyes,  “ I rather  think  we  shall  see  some- 
thing more  of  those  very  interesting  personages 
before  the  night  is  over.” 

A cab  took  them  to  the  Tillinghast  in  less  than 
a quarter  of  an  hour.  It  was  a huge,  ornate  place, 
showily  furnished  and  glaring  with  lights.  In  an 
office  floored  with  marble  and  rich  with  gilt  and 
mirrors,  they  found  Burgess,  engaged  in  conver- 
sation with  a clerk.  He  greeted  Ashton-Kirk 
eagerly. 

“ You  are  just  in  time,”  said  he.  “The  young 
man  just  came  in,  and  two  Japanese  were  with 
him.” 

Ashton-Kirk  smiled  as  though  well  pleased. 

“ I rather  fancied  that  he  had  gone  to  fetch 
them  when  you  told  me  that  he  had  gone  out,” 
said  he. 

“ I hope,”  said  the  hotel  clerk,  earnestly,  “ that 
this  matter  is  nothing  that  will  harm  the  credit  of 
the  house.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


287 

“ Not  in  the  least,”  Ashton-Kirk  assured  him, 
smoothly.  “It  is  more  than  likely  that  it  will 
never  even  be  heard  of  outside  ourselves.” 

The  clerk  breathed  freer. 

“ In  that  case,”  said  he,  “ it’s  all  right.  And 
now,  gentlemen,  seeing  that  it  is  a government 
affair,  if  there  is  anything  that  I can  do,  I will  do 
it  cheerfully.” 

“ Thank  you,”  replied  the  secret  agent. 

As  he  spoke  there  came  the  sound  of  a buzzer ; 
a youth  at  a telephone  called : 

“ A waiter  in  Parlor  F.” 

“That’s  the  parlor  your  party  is  occupying,” 
said  the  clerk,  interestedly. 

“ Hold  the  waiter  until  I can  speak  to  him,’' 
said  Ashton-Kirk.  He  considered  a moment. 
“ This  Parlor  F,”  he  added,  “ does  it  communicate 
with  any  other  room  ? ” 

“Yes,  with  Parlor  G.” 

“ Excellent ! ” After  a few  more  questions  to 
which  the  clerk  returned  pointed  answers,  Ashton- 
Kirk  gave  Fuller  and  Burgess  some  low-voiced 
instructions.  “And  now,”  he  said  to  the  clerk,  “ I 
will  see  the  waiter,  if  you  please.” 

The  man  was  a Swede  with  sandy  hair  and 
mild  blue  eyes  ; and  his  name  was  Gustave. 

“Gustave,”  said  the  secret  agent,  “how  long 
have  you  been  a waiter  ? ” 

“ Fifteen  years,”  replied  the  Swede. 


288 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ In  that  time,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  “ you  should 
have  learned  your  business  pretty  well.” 

Gustave  grinned  mildly. 

” Oh,  yes,”  said  he. 

Ashton-Kirk  handed  him  a coin. 

“ When  you  go  into  Parlor  F,”  said  he,  ” for- 
get what  you  have  learned.  Be  clumsy.  Make 
a noise.  Do  something  that  will  draw  people’s 
attention  to  you  for  a little.” 

Again  Gustave  grinned. 

“ I will  forget,”  said  he,  slipping  the  coin  into  a 
pocket.  “ The  peoples  will  not  be  pleased,  but  I 
will  forget.” 

That  he  kept  his  promise  was  evinced  by  sundry 
crashes  and  exclamations  which  came  from  Parlor 
F shortly  after  ; and  in  the  midst  of  these  Ashton- 
Kirk  entered  the  room  adjoining  and  unlocked 
the  communicating  door.  Then  Gustave  retired, 
followed  by  a series  of  remarks  in  a voice  that  was 
strange  to  the  secret  agent,  and  for  a few  mo- 
ments there  was  no  sound  save  the  clinking  and 
clash  of  glasses. 

“Such  a clown,”  said  the  voice,  “such  a clown 
to  be  sent  to  serve  gentlefolks.  It  could  happen 
in  no  other  country  but  this.” 

“ Will  you  please  come  to  the  matter  in  hand?” 
said  the  gentle  voice  of  Okiu.  “You  sent  for  us  fora 
specific  purpose,  and  we  should  be  greatly  obliged 
if  you  would  hold  to  that,  Mr.  Karkowsky.” 


SECRET  AGENT  289 

Karkowsky  laughed  in  the  manner  of  a man 
who  was  very  well  contented  with  himself. 

“ Of  course,  of  course,”  said  he.  “ Business  is 
always  a pleasure  to  me.  Especially  very  profit- 
able business  such  as  this  will  prove  to  be.” 

“ We  do  not  ask  your  price,”  said  a voice  which 
the  secret  agent  recognized  as  that  of  Matsadi. 
“We  merely  desire  to  be  certain  that  the  paper  is 
ready  for  delivery.” 

“ You  may  rest  assured  upon  that  point,”  re- 
plied Karkowsky.  “ Drevenoff,  show  him  the 
scapular.” 

There  was  a moment’s  pause,  during  which  the 
secret  agent  could  well  imagine  the  young  Pole 
drawing  the  desired  object  from  his  pocket. 

“ There  1 ” said  the  triumphant  voice  of  Drev- 
enoff. “ There  it  is.  And  see  here  where  the 
edge  has  been  opened — the  paper.” 

Karkowsky  laughed  once  more. 

“ Ah,”  said  he,  contentedly,  “ these  little  mat- 
ters ! What  a time  we  have  in  hunting  them  out 
— what  a chase  they  sometimes  lead  us.  And 
how  glad  we  feel  when  it  is  all  over.” 

“ There  would  have  been  no  chase  in  this  mat- 
ter at  least,”  said  Matsadi,  “ if  you  had  lived  up 
to  your  word  in  the  first  place.” 

“ Not  my  word,  my  dear  sir,”  spoke  Karkowsky. 
“ That  has  always  been  good.  But  one  cannot  al- 
ways depend  upon  the  steadfastness  of  a boy.” 


290 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ I am  as  steadfast  as  you,”  broke  in  the  voice 
of  Drevenoff.  “ But  blood  is  thicker  than  water.” 

“ I will  not  deny  that,”  said  Karkowsky,  sooth- 
ingly. Then,  as  though  turning  to  the  others,  he 
added  : “ It  happened  this  way.  This  was  a wild 
lad.  Russia  drove  him  out.  He  fled  to  this  coun- 
try. When  his  father  came  with  Count  Malikoff 
they  became  reconciled.  He  was  permitted  to  re- 
turn home.  But  he  was  a Pole  ; he  hated  Russia ; 
and  beside  that,  / pointed  out  a chance  to  make  a 
fortune.  He  stole  the  document  which  we  now 
have  here.” 

“ And  then,”  said  Okiu,  “ you  opened  negotia- 
tions with  Tokio.  And  when  all  had  been  set- 
tled, you  would  not  turn  the  instrument  over  to  us 
for  the  price  asked.” 

“ That,”  said  Karkowsky,  “ was  the  result  of  the 
indiscretion  of  a very  young  man.  I could  not 
turn  it  over  to  you.  Drevenoff  had  given  it  to  his 
father.” 

“What  else  would  you  have  me  do?”  demanded 
the  young  Pole,  warmly.  “ Could  I see  him 
wrongfully  accused,  disgraced  ? No.  I returned 
the  paper,  told  him  what  I had  done,  and  stood 
willing  to  have  him  do  with  me  what  he  would.” 

“ But  his  father,”  said  Karkowsky,  “ was  afraid 
to  act ; he  feared  for  himself  and  for  his  son.  He 
hid  the  paper  in  his  scapular,  and  when  dying 
gave  it  to  the  English  physician.” 


SECRET  AGENT  291 

“ He  was  afraid  to  trust  a Russian — he  dreaded 
to  risk  giving  the  paper  into  the  hands  of  one  who 
might  profit  by  it.  I know  that  was  his  reason, 
because  I knew  my  father,”  said  Drevenofi.  “ But 
the  Englishman  attached  no  importance  to  the 
scapular  ; he  placed  it  among  his  effects  and  for- 
got it.  If  my  father  gave  him  any  instructions 
with  regard  to  the  disposal  of  it,  he  also  forgot 
them.” 

” I reasoned  out  what  must  have  become  of  the 
scapular  when  this  young  man  came  to  me  after 
his  father’s  death,”  said  Karkowsky.  ” He  was 
then  willing,  once  more,  to  join  me  in  the  sale  of 
the  paper,  because,”  and  the  man’s  laugh  was  full 
of  mockery,  ” there  was  no  near  and  dear  one  who 
could  be  harmed  by  it.” 

" Because  you  would  sell  your  soul,  Karkow- 
sky,” said  young  Drevenoff,  “ don’t  think  me  a 
fool  if  I would  not.” 

“ I beg  your  pardon,”  said  the  elder  Pole,  ” I 
meant  no  offense.  And  as  to  selling  my  soul  for 
so  little  money,  don’t  believe  it.  If  I ever  come 
to  such  a transaction,  my  dear  child,  the  price  will 
be  of  some  consequence.” 

“ And  when  you  reasoned  that  the  English 
doctor  must  have  what  you  desired,”  said  the 
smooth  voice  of  Okiu,  ” you  began  your  opera- 
tions ? ” 

” At  once,”  answered  Karkowsky.  “ We  took 


ASHTON-KIRK 


292 

ship  to  England,  located  him  at  Sharsdale,  and 
went  to  work  on  the  matter.  We  tried  every- 
thing, but  with  the  same  lack  of  success.” 

“ From  what  you  said  a few  moments  ago,” 
said  Matsadi,  “ you  think  that  Dr.  Morse  was  un- 
aware of  the  document’s  existence.” 

“ At  first  I did  not  dream  of  such  a thing,”  said 
Karkowsky,  ” and,  indeed,  it  was  not  until  after 
he  had  come  to  America  that  it  occurred  to  me. 
On  going  to  Sharsdale  I tried  to  open  negotia- 
tions with  him ; I tried  the  same  here.  But  in 
neither  case  did  he  rise  to  the  bait.  But  now  I am 
convinced  that  he  never  knew  the  thing  was  in 
his  possession.” 

Matsadi  laughed. 

“ Then,  Okiu,”  said  he,  “ all  your  planning  was 
wasted.” 

” So  it  would  seem,”  replied  Okiu,  gently. 

“ We  suspected  that  you  had  some  hand  in  the 
queer  communications  which  Dr.  Morse  received 
from  time  to  time,”  said  Karkowsky.  ” We  knew 
that  it  was  not  by  chance  that  you  took  the  house 
directly  behind  him.  Drevenoff,”  with  a laugh, 
” tried  to  get  your  man  to  talk  many  times,  but 
could  not.” 

“ Humadi,”  said  the  Japanese  agent,  “ never 
talks.” 

Here  there  was  a sort  of  rustling  sound ; the 
swish-swish  of  silken  skirts  over  the  floor ; then  a 


SECRET  AGENT 


293 

new  voice  spoke,  a voice  which  made  Ashton* 
Kirk  breathe  a quiet  sigh  of  content. 

“ I think  you  have  rambled  long  enough  in  this 
thing.  It  will  not  benefit  any  of  us  in  any  way  to 
know  what  the  others  have  done  to  gain  posses- 
sion of  the  paper.  That  it  is  here  is,  I think,  suf- 
ficiently to  the  point.” 

There  was  a subdued  clapping  of  hands  at  this. 

“ Bravo,  Julia,”  cried  Drevenoff.  “To  business, 
I say.  That  is  what  we  are  here  for.” 

“ Exactly,”  spoke  Karkowsky.  “ That  is  what 
we  are  here  for.  The  price ” 

“ Is  what  was  named  before,”  interrupted  Julia. 
“ And  the  paper  is  to  be  delivered  when  the  money 
is  turned  over.” 

“To-morrow?”  asked  Matsadi. 

“ To-morrow  will  do  very  well,”  said  Kar- 
kowsky. “ Ready  money — no  checks,  or  drafts,” 
cunningly.  “ They  are  things  not  always  to  be 
trusted.  The  hard  coin,  or  the  downright  bank- 
note ; that  is  what  pleases  me  in  a case  like  this.” 

“ To-morrow,  at  noon,”  said  Matsadi,  curtly. 
There  was  a drawing  back  of  chairs  and  the  sound 
of  several  persons  arising.  “ You  can  be  seen 
here,  I suppose  ? ” 

“ Yes,”  replied  Karkowsky.  “ We  will  come 
here.  Have  the  money  in  large  bills,  if  possible,” 
with  a laugh  ; “ we  don’t  care  to  be  loaded  down, 
if  it’s  to  be  avoided.” 


294 


ASHTON-KIRK 


“ It  shall  be  as  you  desire,”  said  Matsadi.  Then 
there  came  the  sound  of  footsteps  crossing  the 
floor  of  Parlor  F,  and  a door  opened.  “ Good- 
night,” said  Matsadi. 

“ Good-night,”  replied  the  others. 

Softly  Ashton-Kirk  opened  the  communicating 
door,  and  stepped  into  the  room.  Karkowsky 
was  just  about  closing  the  door  leading  into  the 
hall ; at  his  side  was  Drevenoff  and  a girl  with 
flaxen  hair.  As  the  door  clicked  behind  the  Jap- 
anese the  girl  threw  up  her  hands  and  laughed 
triumphantly. 

“ Alexander,”  she  cried,  “ it  is  ours  at  last ! We 
have  won  ! In  spite  of  all  they  could  do — in  spite 
of  the  clever  American,  we  have  won ! ” 

She  threw  her  arms  about  the  neck  of  Drev- 
enoff ; but  as  she  did  so  there  came  a queer, 
throaty  cry  from  Karkowsky ; and  then  for  the 
first  time  since  he  had  entered  the  room,  she  saw 
Ashton-Kirk. 


CHAPTER  XXV 


Caught ! 

The  expression  upon  the  faces  of  the  three  as 
they  gazed  at  Ashton-Kirk  were  of  mingled 
amazement  and  fear.  But  the  secret  agent  only 
smiled  in  return ; the  twinkle  in  his  eyes  was  al- 
together humorous. 

“ I know,”  said  he,  ” that  I am  exceedingly  an- 
noying in  happening  here — especially  at  such  a 
time  as  this.  But,  you  see,  we  all  have  our  tasks 
in  life,  and  mine  is  to  convince  people  that  things 
are  seldom  what  they  seem.” 

There  was  no  reply  ; and  the  secret  agent  fixing 
his  gaze  upon  the  girl,  continued  : 

‘‘That  you  think  I am  clever  is  a compli- 
ment for  which  I thank  you.  It  is  hard,”  with 
a smile,  “ to  be  indebted  to  a person  and  be 
able  to  make  only  a — so  to  speak — left  handed 
return.” 

The  girl  was  the  first  of  the  three  to  recover. 
She  stared  at  the  speaker  unflinchingly. 

“ And  that  is ? ” she  asked. 

“ Only  that  in  saying  that  you  have  won  you 
made  a slight  mistake.” 


295 


ASHTON-KIRK 


296 

“ Don’t  be  too  sure  that  it  is  one,”  she  said. 
Then  with  a fierce,  bitter  ring  in  her  tone,  she 
added  : “ There  would  have  been  no  mistake  had 
I had  my  way  a few  nights  ago.” 

The  secret  agent  laughed. 

“ Ah,  no,”  said  he.  “ I can  well  believe  that. 
You  urged  our  friend  here,”  nodding  toward 
Drevenoff,  “ rather  strongly,  to  be  sure.” 

Drevenoff’s  face  was  waxen  with  increased  fear  ; 
the  wide  open  stare  of  his  eyes  grew  more  marked. 
He  was  about  to  say  something,  but  before  he 
could  do  so  Karkowsky  spoke. 

“ Who,”  asked  the  elder  Pole,  “ is  this  gentle- 
man ? ” 

The  girl  laughed  in  a mocking  sort  of  way. 

“ An  amateur  policeman,”  she  said.  “ Perhaps 
you  have  heard  of  him.  His  name  is  Ashton- 
Kirk.” 

Karkowsky  seemed  to  ponder ; but  at  length  he 
shook  his  head. 

“ No,”  said  he,  “ I do  not  recall  the  name.” 
Then  to  the  secret  agent : “ Would  you  mind 

stating  your  business,  sir  ? ” 

“ You  would  make  an  excellent  comedian,  Mr. 
Karkowsky,”  said  the  other.  “ I do  not  recall 
ever  having  seen  that  so  well  done  before.  And 
when  one  considers  how  many  times  the  device 
has  been  used,  that  is  saying  a great  deal.” 

Drevenoff  took  a step  toward  the  speaker. 


SECRET  AGENT 


297 


“ What,”  demanded  he,  “ did  you  mean  a mo- 
ment ago  when  you  spoke  of  my  being  strongly 
urged  ? ” 

“ So ! ” Ashton-Kirk  darted  a keen  look  at 
him.  “ That  attracted  your  attention,  did  it  ? ” 
He  remained  with  his  eyes  upon  the  young  man 
for  a moment,  and  then  continued  : “You  seem 
to  have  a habit,  when  dispatched  upon  messages, 
of  seeing  to  your  own  affairs  first.  I recall,”  remi- 
niscently, “ that  upon  the  night  of  the  murder  of 
Dr.  Morse  I asked  you  to  go  for  the  police.” 

“ I did  so,”  said  the  Pole. 

“ Oh,  yes,  to  be  sure.  But  you  took  occasion 
first  to  fasten  a window  which  had  been  previously 
neglected.” 

For  an  instant  it  seemed  as  though  Drevenoff 
would  cry  out,  but  with  a great  effort  he  held  him- 
self in  check. 

“ I don’t  understand  you,”  he  said. 

“ I sympathize  with  you  in  that,”  said  Ashton- 
Kirk,  “because  there  are  many  things  I do  not 
understand  myself.  For  example,”  and  he  wrin- 
kled his  brow  as  though  in  an  attempt  to  recall 
something,  “ I do  not  understand  how  you  escaped 
the  eye  of  the  man  I had  at  your  heels  the  other 
night  when  Miss  Corbin  sent  you  to  the  city 
Was  it  by  a leap  from  the  train  while  it  was  mov- 
ing? ” He  shook  his  head  in  strong  disapproval. 
“ That  was  dangerous.” 


ASHTON-KIRK 


298 

A quick  look  passed  between  the  three ; but 
the  secret  agent  proceeded  : 

“ There  are  some,  however,  who  are  willing  to 
take  chances,  no  matter  how  desperate.  Then, 
again,  there  are  others  who  dislike  to  risk  any- 
thing. You,  for  example,”  and  he  looked  once 
more  at  the  girl,  “ refuse  to  run  risks  of  a certain 
sort.  You  are  one  of  those  who  believe  in  clear- 
ing the  way  of  obstacles  as  you  come  to  them. 
That,”  and  he  nodded  appreciatively,  “ is  an 
admirable  method.  But  to  be  absolutely  effective 
it  should  contain  a dash  of  imagination.  For, 
then,  if  one  were  planning  a murder  by  illumina- 
ting gas,  for  instance,  one  would  realize  the  result 
of  a raised  blind.  A grass  plot  is  an  excellent 
background  for  the  shadows  cast  by  a strong 
light.” 

Again  the  quick  glances  were  interchanged  ; 
and  then  Karkowsky  spoke  briskly. 

“ We  have  listened  to  you,  Mr.  Ashton-Kirk,  as 
you  must  admit,  with  a great  deal  of  patience. 
So  you  will  pardon  me  if  I insist  upon  your  sta- 
ting the  nature  of  your  business  without  further 
loss  of  time.” 

Ashton-Kirk  looked  at  the  fresh-faced  little  man 
wdth  his  frank,  well  opened  eyes  and  well-fed 
figure ; and  a look  of  amusement  came  into  his 
face. 

” As  to  that,”  said  the  secret  agent,  “ I am 


SECRET  AGENT 


299 

entirely  at  one  with  you.  I desire  to  finish  my 
business  as  quickly  as  I can.  I am  here  upon 
much  the  same  errand  as  the  two  who  just  left,” 
he  continued,  ” But  there  is  this  difference. 
They  were  willing  to  pay  for  the  paper  contained 
in  the  scapular ; while  I expect  to  have  it  handed 
to  me  for  the  asking.” 

Karkowsky  sat  down  and  crossed  his  legs  much 
after  the  manner  of  a man  who  is  interested. 
The  young  man  and  the  girl  remained  standing 
and  were  silent. 

“ A paper,”  said  Karkowsky,  as  he  stroked  his 
chin,  thoughtfully.  “Will  you  kindly  be  more 
explicit  ? ” 

“ Again  I felicitate  you  upon  your  talent,”  said 
the  secret  agent ; “ you  were  meant  for  the  stage.” 
He  sat  upon  the  edge  of  the  table  and  nursed  one 
knee  with  his  clasped  hands.  “ But  let  me  assure 
you  that  you  are  but  wasting  your  breath  and 
your  ability.”  He  paused  for  a moment  and 
then  went  on : “ If  every  one  concerned  in  this 

matter  had  displayed  a like  degree  of  talent, 
things  might  not  have  turned  out  as  they  have. 
Let  me  suggest  to  you,”  to  the  girl,  “that  you 
make  an  effort  to  change  your  style  of  hand- 
writing ; if  you  continue  in  your  present  trade, 
you  can’t  hope  for  success  while  possessing  so 
noticeable  a characteristic.” 

For  the  first  time  since  his  discovery  of  the 


ASHTON-KIRK 


3C0 

secret  agent’s  presence,  Karkowsky  lost  his 
presence  of  mind.  He  uttered  an  exclamation. 

“ The  postman,”  smiled  Ashton-Kirk,  “ told  me 
of  Mr.  Kendreg  of  Lowe  Street,  and  it  did  not 
take  a great  deal  of  time  to  reason  it  out  that  you 
and  he  were  one,  and  that  the  second  address  was 
a ruse  to  throw  the  police  off  the  track  should 
there  be  any  need  of  it.  The  man  who  had  you 
in  charge  also  had  orders  to  keep  an  eye  out  for  a 
woman,  for  the  handwriting  which  had  so  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  postman,  together 
with  some  other  little  things,  had  told  me  that  a 
woman  was  concerned.  But,  as  a matter  of  fact, 
he  never  had  a glimpse  of  her  until  you  went  to 
meet  her  at  the  station  and  boarded  the  train  for 
Washington.  On  the  journey  here,  he  occupied 
a chair  in  the  same  car.” 

” He  is  a clever  man,”  sneered  the  girl. 

“ Quite  so.  But  there  are  things  which  are  out 
of  his  line.  For  example,  he  has  not  been  able  to 
find  out  how  you  obtained  entrance  to  the  Von 
Stunnenberg  house.  But  that  you  did  enter  he 
knew,  for  he  watched  you  as  you  went  in.  And 
then  he  called  me  on  the  telephone  and  described 
you.  I knew  that  I could  not  mistake  you,”  with 
a little  bow,  ” for  there  are  not  many  of  your 
marked  type,  and  if  that  were  not  enough,  your 
costume  is  unique.” 

” Well?”  said  she. 


SECRET  AGENT 


301 

“ I did  not  see  you  take  the  paper  from  Miss 
Corbin/’  said  Ashton-Kirk.  “ But  I was  quite 
sure  that  you  had  it,  for  all  that” 

“ And  you  allowed  me  to  go  1 ” The  girl 
sneered  once  more ; but  Ashton-Kirk  shrugged 
his  shoulders. 

“ It  made  no  great  difference,”  said  he  quietly. 
“ The  man  who  watched  you  enter  was  watching 
you  when  you  left.  His  arrangements  were  such 
that  only  a miracle  could  have  permitted  your  es- 
cape.” 

For  a moment  the  three  were  silent ; then 
young  Drevenoff  spoke. 

“ You  heard  what  Okiu  and  the  other  said  while 
they  were  here?” 

” All  that  was  essential,  I think.  I know  that 
you  have  the  paper,  and  this  being  the  case,  it  is 
to  you  whom  I now  direct  my  attention.” 

” By  that,”  said  Drevenoff,  “ I suppose  you 
mean  that  you  expect  me  to  give  it  up.” 

The  secret  agent  nodded. 

“ I credit  you  with  some  common  sense,”  said 
he,  “ and  therefore  think  that  you  will  do  so.” 

The  young  man  was  about  to  answer,  but  Kar- 
kowsky  stopped  him.  The  elder  then  bent  toward 
Ashton-Kirk ; his  usually  good-humored  eyes 
wore  an  "entirely  different  expression,  his  round 
face  was  set  and  hard. 

” I perceive,”  said  he,  in  a cold,  even  voice, 


ASHTON-KIRK 


302 

“that  there  is  nothing  to  be  gained  by  further 
evasion.  We  have  the  paper  of  which  you  speak 
— we  have  it  after  several  years  of  constant  effort ; 
and  the  reward  that  was  to  follow  the  finding  of  it 
is  all  but  in  our  hands.”  He  rose,  and  his  small 
figure  seemed  to  dilate  as  he  proceeded  : “ Per- 

haps you  heard  this  reward  mentioned  a while 
ago.  It  is  to  be  a large  sum  of  money  paid  by 
the  Japanese  government ; but  do  not  suppose 
that  we,”  and  he  waved  his  hand  so  as  to  include 
the  other  two,  “ hoped  for  personal  profit.” 

Ashton-Kirk  shook  his  head. 

“I  do  not  suppose  so,”  said  he.  “Some  few 
facts  which  I gathered  as  to  your  reading  at  the 
public  libraries  gave  me  an  idea  as  to  your  pur- 
pose.” 

“ Humanity,”  declared  Karkowsky,  “ its  devel- 
opment and  progress! — that  is  our  creed.  This 
money  was  to  help  fight  tyranny  as  represented 
by  Russia.  The  Japanese  whom  we  have  dealt 
with  know  nothing  of  our  intentions  ; for  they, 
too,  are  ruled  by  a tyrant,  and  we  feared  that  rather 
than  advance  our  cause,  if  they  knew  the  truth, 
they  would  forego  leveling  at  your  own  country 
a blow  which  they  longed  to  strike. 

“ We  have  given  ourselves  to  this  thing,”  he 
went  on,  “ have  stopped  at  nothing.  No  chance 
has  been  too  desperate,  no  hope  too  small.  And 
now  that,  as  I have  said,  the  reward  is  all  but  in 


SECRET  AGENT 


303 

our  hands,  do  you  think  we  will  pause — that  we 
will  weaken  in  our  purpose — that  we  will  surren- 
der the  paper  to  you  because  you  come  here  and 
demand  it?” 

“If  you  do  suppose  so,”  said  Drevenoff,  “you 
do  not  know  us.  You  are  only  one ; if  we  failed 
before,  it  does  not  follow  that  we  will  fail  again. 
You  were  right,  Julia,”  to  the  girl ; “ I should  have 
used  the  revolver  you  offered  me  instead  of  the 
gas.  It  would  have  been  sure,  and  would  have 
saved  us  further  trouble.” 

“Ah,”  said  the  secret  agent,  “so  it  was  a re- 
volver she  offered  you,  I recall  your  refusal  of  it 
very  well.  And  I also  recall,”  thoughtfully,  “that 
it  was  a pistol  shot  which  ended  the  life  of  Dr. 
Morse.  Perhaps  she  also  offered  you  the  weapon 
in  that  instance.”  ’ 

“ What ! ” cried  the  young  Pole.  “ Do  you 
mean  to  say ” 

But  Ashton-Kirk  interrupted  him. 

“I  mean  to  say,”  said  he,  “that  I know 
you  were  in  the  library  on  the  night  of  the 
murder. 

“Wait!”  As  Drevenoff  seemed  about  to  inter- 
rupt him.  “ Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  v/ere 
not  in  the  library  that  night,  secretly  ? Do  you 
mean  to  say  that  you  did  not  steal  down  the  front 
staircase,  unfasten  a rear  window,  and  admit  a 
woman  ? And  do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  did 


ASHTON-KIRK 


304 

not  make  a search,  and  in  doing  so  cut  your  hand 
upon  a glass  drawer  knob?” 

Drevenoff  gasped,  and  a wild  look  came  into 
his  eyes;  in  a moment  the  girl  was  at  his  side, 
whispering  soothingly  to  him,  all  her  defiance 
gone,  her  manner  soft  and  anxious. 

“ If  I were  to  tell  these  things  in  a court  of  law,” 
said  Ashton-Kirk,  and  he  shrugged  his  shoulders, 
“ and  then  followed  them  up  by  showing  your  en- 
tire willingness  to  take  human  life,  as  demonstra- 
ted by  your  venture  with  the  illuminating  gas,  do 
you  think  there  would  be  much  chance  of  your 
escaping  conviction  for  the  murder  of  Dr.  Morse  ?” 

Drevenoff  shook  himself  free  from  the  girl ; his 
face  was  white,  and  he  trembled  from  head  to 
foot ; but  the  wild  look  of  terror  in  his  eyes  had 
given  place  to  one  of  desperate  resolution. 
Karkowsky  seemed  to  read  the  look ; and  what  it 
told  him,  apparently,  agreed  well  with  his  own 
inclinations  at  the  moment,  for  his  hand  stole  to 
his  pocket  and  he  took  a forward  step. 

“You  would  have  us  into  a law  court,  would 
you?”  asked  the  younger  Pole,  in  a husky  voice. 
“And  you’d  put  a rope  around  mj/  neck!  Well, 
maybe  you  would,  if  you  got  the  chance  ; but  you 
have  not  yet  done  it,  and  you  will  not  1 ” 

With  the  last  word  he  leaped  upon  Ashton-Kirk, 
his  hands  gripping  at  his  throat,  and  at  the  same 
moment  Karkowsky  drew  a shining  object  from 


SECRET  AGENT 


305 

his  pocket.  What  would  have  happened  would 
be  difficult  to  say  ; but  at  the  first  sign  of  violence, 
Fuller,  Burgess  and  some  others  burst  into  the 
room;  Karkowsky  was  seized  and  the  younger 
man  was  torn  away  from  the  secret  agent. 

The  latter  readjusted  his  collar  with  one  hand, 
and  smiled  quietly. 

“ To  grip  a man  by  the  throat  is  a very 
primitive  mode  of  attack,  my  dear  sir,”  said  he. 
“ The  very  best  authorities  have  set  their  faces 
against  it,  for  while  you  are  so  engaged,  you  leave 
yourself  open  to  more  or  less  deadly  counter 
movements.  But  as  it  happened,  this,”  and  a 
scarlet  something  showed  in  his  hand,  ” is  the  only 
thing  that  happened  to  you.  I was  too  seriously 
engaged  in  picking  your  pockets  to  think  of  any- 
thing else.” 

What  reply  Drevenoff  made  to  this  did  not  seem 
to  interest  the  secret  agent  a great  deal,  however ; 
for  he  turned  his  back  upon  them  all,  and,  under 
a light,  began  making  an  examination  of  his  find. 
They  caught  the  rustle  of  paper,  and  saw  him 
place  something  carefully  in  his  pocketbook. 
When  he  finally  turned,  his  aides  were  about  lead- 
ing the  prisoners  from  the  room.  At  the  door 
there  was  a halt ; the  girl  turned  toward  him. 

“ It’s  too  late  to  deny  anything  in  which  we  have 
had  a hand,”  said  she,  disregarding  the  muttered 
warnings  of  Karkowsky.  “ But  the  one  thing 


ASHTON-KIRK 


306 

with  which  we  had  nothing  to  do  I will  deny. 
Neither  he,”  pointing  to  Drevenoff,  ” nor  I killed 
Dr.  Morse.  I admit  everything  else;  but  that 
one  thing  we  did  not  do.” 

Ashton-Kirk  said  nothing;  and  the  girl  went 
on  : 

“ Drevenoff  did  admit  me  to  the  house  on  the 
night  the  doctor  was  killed.  He  had  searched  for 
the  paper  everywhere ; and  knowing  that  I was 
clever  at  such  things,  he  asked  me  to  help  him. 
It  was  for  the  same  purpose  that  I was  in  the 
house  on  the  night  we  tried  to  fix  you  with  the 
illuminating  gas. 

” But,”  and  her  hands  went  up  dramatically, 
” we  did  not  lay  a hand  upon  the  doctor.  He  was 
seated  in  his  chair,  dead,  when  we  went  into  the 
library.  If  he  was  murdered,”  and  her  voice  sank, 
“ I can  indicate  the  guilty  person.” 

“ Who  was  it  ? ” asked  Burgess. 

” It  was  his  secretary — Warwick.” 

“You  did  not  see  him  do  it?”  It  was  Fuller 
who  asked  the  question. 

“ No ; but  after  we  had  searched  everywhere, 
we  heard  a sound  ; I was  just  about  to  open  a bag 
which  I saw  on  the  floor  and  Drevenoff  whispered 
to  me  to  run.  I did  so,  taking  the  bag  with  me. 
I had  stepped  out  of  the  window  and  was  looking 
about,  when  Warwick  leaped  out  after  me  and 
seized  the  bag.  I tried  to  tear  it  from  him,  but 


SECRET  AGENT 


307 

could  not.  Then  I ran,  leaving  it  in  his  hands.” 
There  was  a silence  for  a moment,  then  she  added, 
“ What  I have  just  said  is  the  absolute  truth.  If 
you  are  even  half  as  clever  a man  as  you  are  said 
to  be,”  to  Ashton-Kirk,  “ you  will  find  this  to  be 
so.” 

And  with  that  she  followed  Karkowsky  and 
Drevenoff  from  the  room,  each  guarded  by  a stout 
plain  clothes  man. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


The  Truth 

Ashton-Kirk,  after  Burgess  led  the  prisoners 
away,  turned  to  a telephone  and  in  a moment  had 
the  office. 

“ A gentleman  will  probably  ask  to  see  me  in  a 
little  while  ; if  so,  send  him  here.” 

And  as  he  turned  toward  Fuller,  that  young 
man  said,  in  a dubious  sort  of  way  : 

“ What  do  you  think  of  that  story  which  the 
girl  just  now  told?  Can  there  be  any  truth  in 
it?” 

” It  is  all  truth,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  quietly. 

“ All  truth  ! ” Fuller  opened  his  eyes  to  their 
widest  extent.  “Then  you  have  made  up  your 
mind  Warwick  is  the  murderer.” 

Ashton-Kirk  smiled. 

“ As  to  that,”  said  he,  “ we  will  allow  him  to 
speak  for  himself.  I expect  him  here  at  any 
moment.” 

“ Here  ! ” 

“Yes,”  replied  the  secret  agent.  And  then  as  a 
low  knock  sounded  upon  the  door,  he  added, 
“ More  than  likely  that  is  he  now.” 

308 


SECRET  AGENT 


309 

In  response  to  his  “ Come  in,”  Philip  Warwick 
entered.  Closing  the  door  behind  him,  he  ad- 
vanced slowly,  and  then  paused  facing  Ashton- 
Kirk. 

” I believe,”  said  he,  quietly,  “ that  you  desire 
to  see  me.” 

He  was  rather  pale  and  obviously  nervous  ; but 
for  all  that  he  made  a good  attempt  to  appear  at 
ease. 

” It  was  very  kind  of  you  to  come  at  this  hour,” 
said  Ashton-Kirk.  “ Will  you  sit  down  ? ” 

The  young  man  did  so. 

“ I did  not  know  just  where  you  were  putting 
up,”  proceeded  Ashton-Kirk,  ” and  so  had  to  call 
up  one  hotel  after  another.” 

“ I was  at  the  Carlton,”  said  Warwick.  “ I got 
the  call  a half-hour  ago.  And  now  that  I am 
here,”  with  a squaring  of  his  shoulders,  “ will  you 
kindly  be  as  brief  as  possible  ? ” 

“ Brevity  suits  me  exactly,”  said  Ashton-Kirk. 
” But  before  making  a beginning,  don’t  you  think 
it  advisable  to  secure  the  presence  of  one  more 
person  ? I think,”  significantly,  “she  has  returned 
from  Von  Stunnenberg’s  by  this.” 

For  an  instant  Philip  Warwick  hesitated  ; then 
he  went  to  the  telephone ; and  in  a very  few  min- 
utes there  came  a knock  upon  the  door.  Fuller 
opened  it,  and  Stella  Corbin  entered  swiftly ; with 
a cry  she  ran  to  Warwick,  and  he  put  his  arms 


ASHTON-KIRK 


310 

about  her  protectingly,  while  his  eyes  seemed  to 
defy  the  secret  agent. 

“ And  now,”  said  the  latter,  after  the  girl  had 
gained  control  of  herself,  “ suppose  we  make  our- 
selves as  comfortable  as  possible,  and  then  come 
at  once  to  that  which  has  brought  us  together.” 

When  all  were  seated,  he  resumed  : 

” There  are  a great  many  points  in  this  case 
which  remain  to  be  cleared  up.  Some  of  these,” 
and  his  eyes  searched  their  faces,  “ are  things  upon 
which  you  two  only  can  throw  a light.” 

But  the  girl  and  the  young  man  remained  look- 
ing at  him  coldly  and  in  silence.  He  smiled. 

“Your  present  attitude  is  not  unfamiliar,”  said 
he  to  Miss  Corbin.  “ I think,”  reflectively,  “ that 
I noted  it  first  upon  the  day  after  the  murder  of 
your  uncle  when  we  met  you  upon  the  stairs. 
And,”  his  brows  lifting  in  polite  inquiry,  “ as  you 
had  just  finished  a somewhat  earnest  conversation 
with  your  neighbor  Okiu,  I’ve  often  wondered 
just  how  much  he  had  to  do  with  my  loss  of  your 
confidence.” 

“You  are  right,”  said  Stella  Corbin,  steadily. 
“ It  was  Mr.  Okiu  who  first  told  me  what  many 
things  have  since  convinced  me  is  the  truth.  He 
was  passing  the  window  where  I stood  that  morn- 
ing and  stopped  to  express  his  sympathy.  We 
entered  into  a conversation  and  he  told  me  of  the 
paper — I had  never  heard  of  it  before — and  he 


SECRET  AGENT 


311 

told  me  that  you  were  endeavoring  to  become 
possessed  of  it. 

“ But  I believed  in  you  then,  and  replied  that 
you  had  been  engaged  by  Mr.  Warwick  to  clear 
up  a mystery  which  surrounded  my  uncle.  How- 
ever, he  said  he  knew  your  methods.  You  had 
no  doubt  in  some  insidious  way  caused  yourself 
to  be  suggested  to  Mr.  Warwick  for  the ” 

“Stella!”  cried  Warwick,  in  astonishment. 

“ Is  it  so  surprising  that  this  should  be  true  ? ” 
she  asked  turning  to  him.  “ Have  not  much 
more  surprising  things  happened  of  late  ? ” 

Warwick  made  no  reply  to  this,  but  directed  a 
look  toward  the  secret  agent. 

“ One  would  have  thought,”  said  the  latter, 
composedly,  “ that  Okiu’s  being  so  manifestly  an 
interested  person  would  have  weakened  the 
plausibility  of  his  story.  But,”  and  he  smiled  as 
he  went  on,  “ perhaps  he  did  not  divulge  the  real 
nature  of  the  paper.”  He  caught  the  look  that 
came  into  her  face,  and  added  : “ I see  that  he 

did  not.  A clever  man  would  not,  and  Okiu  is 
really  very  clever.” 

He  paused  for  a few  moments  as  though  expect- 
ing either  one  or  the  other  to  speak ; but  as  they 
did  not  do  so,  remaining  cold  faced  and  unbeliev- 
ing, he  resumed  : 

“ I see  that  there  is  very  little  that  I can  say 
thstt  will  tend  toward  reestablishing  our  first 


ASHTON-KIRK 


312 

friendly  relationship.  And  this  being  the  case, 
we  shall  waste  no  more  time  upon  the  attempt.” 
He  took  a note-book  from  his  pocket  and  turning 
over  the  leaves,  said : “ Here  I have  the  main 

•points  of  the  affair  of  Dr.  Morse  from  the  time 
of  your  visit  to  me,”  nodding  to  Warwick,  “ until 
the  time  Miss  Corbin  removed  the  sought-for 
document  from  the  candlestick  in  the  library  of 
tl;e  house  on  Fordham  Road.” 

At  this  the  girl  started  up  with  a little  startled 
cry  ; but  Warwick  drew  her  back  with  a whispered 
warning. 

The  secret  agent  smiled. 

“You  seem  surprised  that  I should  know  just 
where  you  found  the  paper,”  he  said.  “ Do  you 
forget  that  I was  in  the  house  on  the  night  that  it 
was  done  ? ” There  was  another  brief  pause ; 
then  he  went  on  : “ However,  in  tracing  out  this 

matter,  I have  come  upon  indications  and  have 
arrived  at  conclusions  which  may  surprise  you 
still  more.”  His  turning  of  the  pages  of  the  note- 
book stopped,  and  with  his  finger  marking  a 
penciled  entry,  he  said  to  Warwick : “ This 
woman  in  New  York — have  you  settled  your 
matters  with  her?” 

It  was  now  the  young  man’s  turn  to  show  dis- 
composure. But  it  was  for  an  instant  only. 

“ A woman  ? ” said  he,  inquiringly.  “ I don’t 
think  I understand.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


313 

“ Of  course,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  with  a gesture, 
“ it  is  your  privilege  to  assume  any  attitude  you 
choose  ; but  I must  say  that  I consider  this  one 
faulty.  There  is  a woman  ! And  she  insists  that 
she  has  some  sort  of  a legal  claim  upon  you. 
This  you  deny ; and  Miss  Corbin  believes  you.” 

“ Mr.  Warwick,”  exclaimed  the  girl,  warmly, 
“ has  my  utmost  confidence.” 

“Thank  you,”  smiled  Ashton-Kirk.  “We  will 
now  consider  the  existence  of  the  woman  as  having 
been  admitted.”  He  settled  back  in  his  chair, 
and  went  on : “ Some  time  ago  Dr.  Morse 

received  a number  of  letters.  They  were  brought 
to  him  by  a second  woman — one  whom  you,”  to 
Warwick,  “ did  not  know.” 

A quick  look  of  surprise  passed  between  the 
girl  and  the  young  man  ; but  they  kept  silent. 

“ From  that  time,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  easily, 
“ there  was  a decided  feeling  between  Dr.  Morse 
and  his  secretary.  Quarrels  were  frequent ; 
he  was  not  careful  as  to  his  words  and  you 
resented  his  brutality.  On  the  night  of  the 
murder  he  struck  you,”  looking  at  Warwick. 
“ He  struck  you  in  the  face ; and  you,”  turning 
his  eyes  swiftly  upon  the  girl,  “ saw  the  blow  and 
were  glad.” 

“ Glad  ! ” the  girl  echoed  the  word.  “ Yes,  I 
was  glad.  Because  I knew  that  that  would  mark 
the  end  of  your  hesitancy,”  to  Warwick.  “ I 


ASHTON-KIRK 


314 

knew  that  you  would  act — that  you  would  not  be 
content  with  merely  denying.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded. 

“ If  you  had  read  my  notes,”  said  he,  tapping 
his  book  approvingly,  “ you  could  not  have  made 
a statement  more  in  accord  with  them.”  He 
looked  at  them  for  a moment,  and  then  went  on : 
“ Dr.  Morse  had  made  up  his  mind  finally  to  in- 
terview this  woman.  He  had  placed  the  letters 
in  his  hand-bag  and  was  preparing  for  the  trip 
when  you,”  to  Stella,  “ convinced  him  that  he  was 
making  a mistake,  and  succeeded  in  obtaining  his 
consent  that  Warwick  make  the  journey  with  the 
letters  instead.  Am  I right  ? ” 

“ You  are,”  replied  Warwick.  “ I had  known 
this  woman,”  in  explanation.  ” She  heard  of  my 
intended  marriage  with  Miss  Corbin,  claimed  that 
she  was  my  wife  and  forged  certain  letters  to  sub- 
stantiate her  claim.  The  entire  matter  was  ab- 
surd, though  Dr.  Morse  chose  to  regard  it  se- 
riously. But  at  last  he  did  consent  to  giving  me 
the  letters,  permitting  me  to  seek  out  the  woman 
and  force  her  to  tell  the  truth.” 

” I see,”  said  Ashton-Kirk.  “ It  was  while  upon 
a landing  of  the  back  stairs  that  you  were  told 
that  the  letters  were  in  the  hand-bag  in  the  library, 
and  you  at  once  went  to  get  them,  meaning  to 
catch  the  next  New  York  train.  Miss  Corbin  went 
as  far  as  the  lower  hall  vt^ith  you,  then  returned  to 


SECRET  AGENT 


315 

her  room.  You  entered  the  library.  It  was  dark. 
A sound  attracted  you  in  the  rear  room.  You 
went  toward  it,  and  as  you  gained  the  doorway 
you  saw  a woman  with  the  bag  in  her  hand  step 
out  of  the  low  window  to  the  lawn.” 

“You  were  there!”  cried  Warwick. 

“ No,”  smiled  Ashton-Kirk.  “ Some  of  the 
things  which  I have  told  you  were  seen,  or  heard. 
Others  I have  gathered  from  signs.  I have  merely 
connected  all  of  these  by  reasoning  out  what  must 
have  occurred  to  bring  about  the  results  that  fol- 
lowed.” 

“ I did  see  a woman  step  out  upon  the  lawn,” 
said  Warwick,  “ and  I followed  her.” 

” Of  course,”  said  the  secret  agent.  “ You  knew 
it  was  a woman  who  had  brought  the  letters  to 
Dr.  Morse ; and  that  you  had  not  seen  her  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  you  suspected  that  the 
woman  with  the  bag  was  the  same.  You  fancied 
that  she  had  somehow  learned  of  Dr.  Morse’s  in- 
tention to  turn  the  letters  over  to  you  ; and  in  fear 
of  what  you  might  do  and  knowing  that  the  letters 
were  palpable  forgeries,  she  had  effected  an  en- 
trance to  the  house  and  was  trying  to  make  off 
with  them.  If  it  occurred  to  you  that  she  had 
been  exceedingly  quick  to  gain  her  information, 
and  had  suspiciously  little  trouble  getting  into  the 
house,  you  might  have  suspected  the  collusion  of 
Dr.  Morse.  As  you  had  a deep-seated  aversion 


3i6  ASHTON-KIRK 

to  him,  this  thought  would  have  been  natural 
enough.” 

“ As  a matter  of  fact,”  said  Warwick,  slowly, 
“ what  you  say  is  practically  the  truth.  But,”  and 
there  was  a strong  curiosity  in  his  voice,  “ it  is  not 
possible  that  you  have  reasoned  your  w'ay  to  this.” 

Ashton-Kirk  smiled. 

” Most  things  to  which  we  are  unaccustomed 
seem  difficult,”  replied  he.  “ This  particular  con- 
clusion was  arrived  at  very  simply.  It  is  based 
upon  the  fact  that  you  did  not  give  an  alarm. 
Had  you  thought  the  woman  was  a housebreaker, 
you  would  not  have  contented  yourself  with  tak- 
ing the  bag  from  her  and  watching  her  make 
away.”  And  as  young  Warwick  was  staring, 
deeply  struck  by  this  explanation,  the  secret  agent 
continued  : “ But,  tell  me,  what  made  you  reenter 
by  the  window  after  she  had  gone  ? ” 

” To  have  an  understanding  with  Dr.  Morse. 
But  I got  no  further  than  the  back  room  when  I 
changed  my  mind.  That  would  wait,  but  the  rail- 
road wouldn’t.  If  I became  involved  in  a quarrel 
with  him  I might  miss  the  train.” 

“ Ah  ! I saw  your  tracks  upon  the  window-sill, 
showing  that  you  had  gone  in  that  way  as  well  as 
come  out.  But  your  reasons  puzzled  me.  You 
will  observe,”  smiling,  “ there  are  some  things  for 
which  I cannot  supply  the  answer.” 

” I passed  around  the  back  of  the  house,  just  as 


SECRET  AGENT 


317 

the  newspapers  said,”  spoke  Warwick,  “ and 
leaped  the  fence.  I did  this  to  save  time.  I had 
no  idea  what  the  hour  was,  and  did  not  wish  to 
be  late.” 

“ It  was  then  that  the  Japanese  saw  you,”  said 
Ashton-Kirk.  “ Okiu  sent  one  of  his  men  to  fol- 
low you,  thinking-  something  was  in  the  wind.  It 
was  this  man  who  was  afterward  found  dead  in 
your  room  at  the  New  York  hotel.” 

“ He  got  into  the  room  during  my  momentary 
absence,”  stated  Warwick,  who  now  seemed  not 
at  all  backward  in  rendering  help.  “ I came  upon 
him  just  as  he  had  slashed  the  bag  open  and  re- 
moved the  letters.  These  I snatched  from  him, 
and  as  he  leaped  at  me  I knocked  him  down.  In 
a rage  at  his  defeat  he  then  killed  himself,  Jap- 
anese fashion,  before  my  eyes.  Knowing  that  I 
should  be  held  for  an  explanation  of  this,  and  not 
wishing  to  become  involved  in  a delay  at  that 
time,  I managed  to  slip  from  the  hotel  without 
being  seen. 

“ Later  I saw  the  account  of  Dr.  Morse’s  death 
in  the  newspapers  and  learned  that  my  sudden 
and  secret  departure  had  caused  me  to  be  sus- 
pected. But  I determined  not  to  make  my  where- 
abouts known  until  I completed  the  business  which 
took  me  to  New  York.  This  I did  very  effectually 
after  I found  the  woman  I had  sought ; then  I re- 
turned ’ 


ASHTON-KIRK 


318 

“ First,”  said  Ashton-Kirk,  “ you  communicated 
with  Miss  Corbin,  made  certain  arrangements 
with  her  on  the  telephone  and  then  paid  a visit. 
You  had  probably  recognized  the  Japanese  of  the 
hotel  room  as  one  whom  you  had  seen  about 
Okiu’s.  This  had  aroused  a suspicion  in  you  that 
possibly  Okiu  knew  more  of  certain  things  than 
any  one  else.” 

“ What  you  have  said  is  quite  correct,”  said  the 
young  man,  composedly.  “ First  I intended 
making  an  open  visit  to  the  Japanese,  and  made 
my  way  to  his  house  for  that  purpose.  But  I saw 
you  entering  at  the  front  door  and  changed  my 
mind.  Miss  Corbin  had  spoken  of  you  with  some 
suspicion  over  the  telephone.  I thought  it  best  to 
take  no  chances  and  at  the  same  time  I wanted  to 
learn  more  about  the  Japanese  and  your  apparent 
intimacy  with  them.  So  I entered  secretly  from 
the  rear  of  the  house.  However,  I had  not  gone 
further  than  the  first  floor  when  I came  upon  you 
in  the  dark.” 

Ashton-Kirk  laughed  and  touched  the  patch  of 
plaster  with  a finger  tip. 

“You  strike  a sharp  blow,”  he  said.  “But  tell 
me,  what  had  Okiu  to  say  when  we  burst  through 
the  door  into  the  lighted  apartment  ? ” 

Warwick  shook  his  head. 

“ There  was  no  one  there.  I saw  that  it  would 
not  do  to  leave  you,  so  I lifted  you  and  carried 


SECRET  AGENT 


319 

you  out  of  the  house  by  the  rear  door.  I meant 
to  call  attention  to  you,  and  after  gaining  the  lawn 
behind  the  house  of  Dr.  Morse,  I heard  some 
one  opening  a door.  I placed  you  upon  the 
ground  and  stepped  back.  It  was  Drevenoflf  who 
came  out,  and  he  found  you  almost  instantly.” 

" I thank  you,”  said  Ashton- Kirk,  “ not  only  for 
that  good  service,  but  for  your  willingness  to 
speak,”  He  turned  to  the  girl  and  added : 
“ Perhaps  it  would  help  matters  greatly  if  you 
were  equally  willing.  Believe  me,  Okiu  had  his 
reasons  for  implanting  suspicion  in  your  mind 
against  me.  He  was  quite  right  if  he  told  you 
that  I was  searching  for  the  paper  concealed  in 
the  scapular ; I knew  that  it  was  in  your  uncle’s 
possession  after  my  first  visit  to  Fordham  Road, 
and  made  up  my  mind  to  have  it.  But  murder  is 
not  my  business.  I gain  my  ends  by  othei 
means.” 

“ Tell  me,”  said  the  girl,  and  she  bent  a little 
toward  him,  “ have  you  gained  your  end  in  this 
case  ? ” 

“ I have,”  returned  the  secret  agent. 

She  gave  a little  gasp. 

” It  was  you,  then,  who  took  the  scapular  from 
me  at  the  embassy  ? ” 

He  laughed  and  shook  his  head. 

“No,”  he  answered,  “it  was  not.  It  came  to 
my  possession  only  about  a half  hour  ago.”  He 


ASHTON-KIRK 


320 

looked  at  her  for  a moment,  and  then  went  on ; 
“ I will  not  ask  how  it  came  into  your  possession, 
or  rather  how  you  knew  of  its  being  in  the  can- 
dlestick, for  I already  know.” 

” You  know  ? ” She  arose,  her  face  white. 

He  nodded. 

“Yes;”  and  here  his  voice  sank.  “I  also 
know  who  killed  your  uncle.” 

Her  hand  went  out,  trembling  ; her  face  was  so 
bloodless  that  Warwick  sprang  up,  alarmed. 

“ You  are  sure?  ” she  asked,  quaveringly. 
Again  the  secret  agent  nodded. 

“ I am  quite  sure,”  he  said. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 


Conclusion  * 

At  an  early  hour  next  day,  Ashton-Kirk  paid  a 
visit  to  the  secretary  ; what  passed  between  them 
can  only  be  guessed,  but  that  the  scarlet  scapular 
and  its  accompanying  document  was  one  of  them, 
is  a certainty.  Then  the  secret  agent,  accom- 
panied by  Fuller,  boarded  a train  leaving  Wash- 
ington and  went  speeding  homeward.  Fuller, 
though  sorely  troubled,  managed  to  contain  him- 
self until  they  had  almost  finished  the  journey. 
Then,  as  one  unable  to  combat  his  curiosity  any 
longer,  he  said  ; 

“ I wonder  how  many  of  those  things  which 
old  Nanon  suspected  regarding  the  Corbin  girl 
are  true  ? ” 

Without  turning  his  eyes  from  the  flat  country 
which  whirled  by  the  car  window,  Ashton-Kirk 
said : 

“ There  are  a great  many  well-meaning  people 
whose  views  or  statements  cannot  be  accepted 
without  great  risk.  Nanon  is  one  of  these.” 

“ Then  you  do  not  believe  what  she  told  you 
321 


322  ASHTON-KIRK 

upon  the  various  occasions  when  you  talked  to 
her  ? ” 

Ashton-Kirk  proceeded  as  though  he  had  not 
heard  the  question. 

“ As  we  saw  at  almost  the  first  glance,  the 
woman  is  a fanatic ; she  hated  ‘ pagans,’  as  she 
termed  the  Japanese ; she  feared  Morse  because 
of  his  views ; to  her  mind  he  was  possessed  by  a 
spirit  of  evil.  This  feeling  grew  so  strong  in  the 
course  of  time  that  she  began  to  feel  that  even 
his  surroundings  must  necessarily  be  evil,  that 
those  who  possessed  the  same  blood,  or  for  whom 
he  cared,  must  be  filled  with  demonic  impulses.” 

•‘That  is  probably  so,”  said  Fuller.  ‘‘Some- 
thing of  the  sort  occurred  to  me  once  or  twice 
after  you  told  me  of  the  things  she  said  on  the 
day  she  visited  you.”  He  was  silent  for  some 
little  time  ; his  mind  seemed  to  have  turned  to  a 
fresh  matter  for  bewilderment,  for  he  finally  said  : 
‘‘  I heard  all  you  said  to  Miss  Corbin  at  the  Til- 
linghast  and  a great  deal  of  it  was  plain  enough. 
But  what  I can’t  understand  is  the  affair  of  Okiu, 
Miss  Corbin  and  the  taxi-cab.  She  was  seen  to 
enter  the  cab  with  the  Jap  at  a time  when  she  had 
in  her  possession  the  thing  which  he  desired  most 
in  the  world.  And,  instead  of  taking  it  then,  he 
preferred  to  wait  and  lay  a rather  ornate  plan 
which  was  not  at  all  sure  to  succeed.” 

‘‘The  story  of  the  old  watchman,  whom  we 


SECRET  AGENT 


323 

talked  to  at  the  drug  store  that  night,  gave  me 
some  hours  of  hard  work,”  said  Ashton-Kirk. 
“ And  I burned  up  quite  a bit  of  tobacco  before  I 
finally  worked  the  truth  out  of  it,”  He  turned 
toward  his  aide  lazily  and  asked  : “ Suppose  there 

had  been  two  taxi-cabs  instead  of  one  that  night?” 

“Two?”  Fuller  did  not  seem  to  grasp  the 
suggestion. 

“ Okiu  got  into  one ; it  turned,  and  vanished 
around  the  corner.  Then  a second  appeared, 
coming  from  the  direction  in  which  the  first  had 
gone.  As  taxis  are  unusual  in  Eastbury  at  night 
the  watchman  never  dreamed  but  that  it  was  the 
same  one  returning.” 

“ But,”  protested  Fuller,  “he  saw  the  Jap  open 
the  taxi  door.” 

“He  said  so,  yes.  But  after  I had  considered 
the  matter  I went  to  him  and  asked  a few  ques- 
tions. It  was  as  I thought.  He  had  taken  the 
cab  for  granted  in  the  first  place,  and  he  took  the 
Jap  for  granted  in  the  second.” 

“ But  Okiu  bought  two  tickets  for  Washington.” 

“ One  was  for  his  confederate,  Humadi,  who 
joined  him  at  the  station.” 

“The  second  cab,  then ” Fuller  paused 

expectantly. 

“I  hunted  it  up.  It  had  been  engaged  by 
young  Warwick.  He  and  Miss  Corbin  had 
agreed  over  the  telephone  to  meet  at  a certain 


ASHTON-KIRK 


324 

hour  upon  the  corner  where  the  policeman  no- 
ticed the  girl  waiting.  Warwick  went  to  secure 
the  cab  to  take  them  to  the  station,  and  was  de- 
layed in  some  way.  As  he  did  not  appear,  she 
evidently  became  nervous,  fancied  that  she  had 
made  a mistake  and  that' he  had  really  named  the 
corner  above  as  the  place  of  meeting.  She  had 
started  for  this,  when  his  cab  turned  the  corner, 
halted  and  took  her  up." 

“Yes,  yes,”  said  Fuller.  “ I see  now  that  that 
could  very  readily  have  happened.  But,”  with  a 
lift  of  his  brows,  “ if  the  Japanese  were  not  in  on 
the  finding  of  the  scapular,  why  did  they  take  it 
into  their  heads  to  bolt  so  suddenly  for  Washing- 
ton?” 

“ The  attempt  upon  me  had  failed,”  returned 
Ashton-Kirk.  “ They  feared  to  remain  without 
instructions,  and  so  hurried  to  Washington  to  lay 
the  facts  before  their  superiors.  Burgess  noted 
them  upon  the  train,  and  was  a witness  to  the 
amazement  they  showed  at  sight  of  Karkowsky 
and  his  friends. 

“ However,  none  of  the  latter  saw  the  Japanese. 
Okiu,  as  I think  I have  said  before,  is  a clever 
man.  He  saw  that  something  was  ripe,  or  con- 
sidered to  be  so  by  the  Poles,  and  so  he  clung  to 
them  secretly  after  they  had  reached  the  capital. 
And  within  an  hour  he  had  learned  that  Miss  Cor- 
bin was  at  the  Tillinghast ! The  observation  of 


SECRET  AGENT 


325 

all  this  was  a deft  piece  of  observation  upon  the 
part  of  Culberson’s  fellows.  They  are  much  more 
deserving  than  I ever  gave  them  credit  for” 

There  was  quiet  a long  period  in  which  nothing 
more  passed  between  the  two  men.  Indeed  the 
train  was  slowing  up  to  stop  wheii  Fuller  asked : 

“You  have  given  up  all  thougl  t of  the  girl  or 
Warwick  having  had  any  hand  in  the  death  of 
Dr.  Morse  ? ’ 

“ I never  had  any  such  thought,”  said  Ashton- 
Kirk.  “To  be  sure,”  smilingly,  “they  puzzled 
me  more  than  a little  from  time  to  time.  The 
girl’s  fear  of  the  police,  from  the  very  first,  was  a 
thing  that  interested  me.  But  that  may  be  safely 
attributed  to  a natural  uncertainity.  There  was 
bad  blood  between  her  lover  and  her  uncle  ; per- 
haps the  former  in  a fit  of  rage  had  killed  the  lat- 
ter. She  feared  this  possibility,  and  in  conse- 
quence dreaded  the  police.” 

“ And  the  shoes  with  the  caked  soil  upon  the 
soles  ? ” 

“As  I remarked  at  the  time  you  discovered 
them,  our  own  shoes  were  in  like  condition.” 

“ Okiu  is  a resourceful,  secretive  man,”  said 
Fuller.  “And,  being  so,  why  did  he  tell  Miss 
Corbin  of  the  paper?  Her  knowledge  of  its  exist- 
ence could  not  benefit  him  in  any  way,  and  her  pos- 
sible discovery  of  it  could  only  have  hurt  him.” 

Ashton-Kirk  laughed. 


ASHTON-KIRK 


326 

“ By  telling  her  what  he  did,  he  gained  a valued 
aide.  He  had  planted  an  unwearying  searcher  in 
the  house  which  he  could  in  no  other  way  enter. 
If  the  girl  found  the  paper,  so  he  figured,  she 
would  at  once  acquaint  him  with  the  fact.  And  I 
have  no  doubt  but  that  this  is  the  very  thing  that 
would  have  happened  had  not  Warwick  arrived 
with  his  newly  created  suspicions  of  the  Japanese.” 

They  took  a taxi  at  the  station  and  were  speed- 
ing toward  the  house  of  Ashton-Kirk,  when 
Fuller  spoke  again. 

“ Several  times,”  said  he,  “ I have  heard  you 
say  that  you  know  who  killed  Dr.  Morse.  I sup- 
pose that  to-day  will  see  the  arrest  of  the  mur- 
derer.” 

Ashton-Kirk  nodded. 

“ Yes,”  said  he,  ” I suppose  so.” 

The  driver  of  the  cab  was  paid  and  dismissed 
and  the  two  entered  the  house. 

“Any  one  here,  Stumph?”  asked  Ashton-Kirk. 

“ Mr.  O’Neill  and  Mr.  Purvis,”  replied  the  man. 

These  two  were  seated  in  a room  off  the  secret 
agent’s  study,  engaged  in  conversation. 

“How  is  this?”  demanded  Ashton-Kirk,  rather 
sharply.  “ I thought  that  either  one  or  the  other 
of  you  was  to  remain  at  the  Fordham  Road  place 
until  I called  you  off.” 

“ Well,  seeing  that  the  regular  police  are  there,” 
said  O’Neill,  “ we  thought  we  could  ease  up  a bit.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


327 

“ The  regular  police ! ” exclaimed  the  secret 
agent. 

“ Then  you  didn’t  get  my  wire.  Yes,  the  regu- 
lars are  on  the  job  there  now.  The  old  servant  is 
dead — died  while  sitting  muttering  over  her 
prayer-book.  It  was  perfectly  natural,  I feel 
sure,  but  the  police,  in  view  of  what  has  already 
happened  in  the  house,  are  going  to  take  no 
chances.” 

The  two  men  had  gone,  and  Ashton-Kirk  sat 
smoking  a cigar  in  his  big  chair. 

" A while  ago,”  said  he,  “ you  said  that  you 
supposed  that  to-day  would  witness  the  arrest  of 
the  assassin  of  Dr.  Morse ; and  I think  I agreed 

that  it  would.  But  now ” he  stopped  and 

shook  his  head. 

Fuller  regarded  him  for  a moment ; then  an  ex- 
pression of  incredulity  came  upon  his  face. 

“ By  George  ! ” cried  he.  “ Surely  you  can’t 
mean  that ” 

“ I mean  that  it  is  too  late,”  interrupted  Ashton- 
Kirk.  He  drew  at  the  cigar  reflectively  for  a 
space  and  then  continued  : “ The  thing  as  far  as 

I could  learn  happened  this  way  : 

“ One  day  while  still  at  Sharsdale,  Nanon,  in 
turning  over  her  employer’s  belongings,  came  upon 
the  scapular  given  him  by  Colonel  Drevenoff. 
She  was  horrified  at  the  thought  of  so  holy  an 
emblem  being  in  the  possession  of  such  a bias- 


ASHTON-KIRK 


328 

phemer,  and  at  once  all  sorts  of  reasons  for  his 
having  it  occurred  to  her.  She  had  perhaps  heard 
of  the  Black  Mass,  and  fancied  no  doubt  that  she 
had  come  upon  evidence  of  some  such  another 
sacrilege.  She  quietly  took  the  scapular,  there- 
fore, and  hid  it.” 

“And  she  never  told  him?” 

“ Not  until  the  night  of  his  death.  Then  she 
was  called  into  the  library,  as  she  stated,  and  in 
some  manner  the  thing  came  out.  I talked  with 
her  as  to  this  latter  before  leaving  for  Washington, 
but  she  could  give  no  clear  account  of  it.  How- 
ever, I think  he  uttered  some  sort  of  a taunt,  as 
was  his  habit,  and  she  replied  in  kind.  The 
meaning  of  the  drawings  sent  by  Okiu  had 
gradually  dawned  upon  her,  it  seems,  and  she  had 
concluded  that  the  suspense  which  he  suffered 
because  of  them  was  a sort  of  retribution.  She 
must  have  put  this  thought  into  words,  and  in  an 
instant  the  truth  was  out.  In  a rage  he  took  a 
revolver  from  his  desk.  She  did  not  know 
whether  it  was  merely  an  attempt  to  frighten  her 
or  no ; however,  she  feared  for  her  life  and 
snatched  at  the  weapon.  It  exploded  and  he  fell 
back  into  the  chair. 

“Yes;  it  was  old  Nanon  who  killed  Morse. 
She  concealed  the  revolver  upon  her  person  and 
went  to  the  front  door,  where  she  sat  for  some 
time,  as  she  told  in  her  first  story.  She  was  calm 


SECRET  AGENT 


329 

and  self-contained — she  felt  that  she  had  done  no 
wrong.” 

“ And  so  she  concluded  it  would  be  best  to  ‘ find 
the  body  ’ when  she  brought  in  the  coffee  ? 

“Yes;  and  while  she  was  engaged  with  this 
Drevenoff  stole  down  the  front  stairs,  admitted  his 
woman  confederate  to  the  room  back  of  the  library 
— and  discovered  the  dead  body  of  Dr.  Morse. 
Then  followed  the  fear-filled  search  ; the  approach 
of  Warwick  added  to  their  fright.  They  evidently 
carried  a pocket  torch,  which  accounts  for  the 
library  being  dark  when  Warwick  entered.  Then 
the  girl,  Julia,  made  an  effort  to  escape  with  the 
bag ; and  while  Warwick  was  in  pursuit  of  her, 
Drevenoff  crept  back  to  his  room.” 

Fuller  nodded  slowly. 

“ Yes,”  said  he,  “it  could  very  easily  have  been 
that  way.  But  tell  me  this : The  old  woman 
knew  all  the  time  that  she  was  responsible  for  the 
death  of  Morse ; so  why  did  she  manifest  so  much 
uneasiness  whenever  Warwick  was  mentioned  in 
the  matter  ? ” 

“ She  was  alarmed  at  his  disappearance  because 
she  was  shrewd  enough  to  know  that  this  would 
attract  attention  toward  him.  There  were  two 
reasons  for  this.  She  felt  kindly  toward  Warwick, 
and  so  disliked  his  being  falsely  accused.  Then, 
if  he  was  arrested,  she  w'ould  be  forced  to  confess 
the  truth  to  save  him.  She  had  these  things  in 


ASHTON-KIRK 


330 

mind  when  she  withheld  the  fact  that  she  had  seen 
Morse  strike  the  young  man. 

“ She  claimed  to  have  heard  voices  in  the  library 
while  she  sat  upon  the  step.  Now,  Dr.  Morse  was 
dead  at  that  time  and  none  of  the  others  had  yet 
gone  into  the  room. 

“The  voices  were  a fiction.  She  thought  to 
mislead  the  police  by  the  invention.  Or  perhaps 
she  really  thought  she  heard  them ; I did  not 
question  her  very  closely  upon  this  point.  A 
woman  like  that  is  apt  to  see  and  hear  things 
which  do  not  exist.  Witness  her  suspicion  of 
Miss  Corbin.  She  fancied  that  for  some  dark 
reasons  the  girl  was  making  an  effort  to  have 
the  crime  fixed  upon  Warwick,  while  professing 
to  love  him.  That  Miss  Corbin  had  been  long 
under  the  influence  of  Dr.  Morse  made  this 
idea,  to  Nanon’s  mind,  not  only  possible,  but 
probable. 

“ This  thought  grew  upon  the  old  woman  until 
it  seemed  she  could  scarcely  think  of  anything 
else.  Her  constant  espionage  finally  attracted 
Miss  Corbin’s  attention,  as  she  told  me  at  the 
Tillinghast  after  you  left  the  room.  In  her  turn 
she  began  to  suspect  and  watch.  With  the  feeling 
that  the  scapular  should  be  well  hidden,  Nanon 
placed  it  in  one  of  the  candlesticks,  cunningly 
calculating  that  as  the  article  had  once  been 
searched,  it  would  be  passed  by  thereafter.” 


SECRET  AGENT 


331 

“ And  Miss  Corbin  saw  her  place  it  there,”  sug- 
gested Fuller,  quickly. 

“ Exactly — and  awaited  an  opportunity  for  ob- 
taining possession  of  it.” 

“ When  did  you  first  come  to  suspect  that 
Nanon  might  have  the  paper  ? ” asked  the  aide, 
with  curiosity. 

” At  the  time  w'e  hit  upon  the  fact  that  the 
drawings  received  by  Dr.  Morse  were  meant  to 
represent  scapulars.  What  had  actually  happened 
at  once  began  to  take  form  in  my  mind.  And 
feeling  sure  that  the  old  woman  had  the  paper 
safe,  without,  possibly,  knowing  of  its  existence,  I 
made  no  attempt  to  obtain  possession  of  it.  And 
I did  not  fear  Drevenoff’s  finding  it,  because  I was 
convinced  that  they  would  never  dream  of  her 
having  it.” 

The  speaker  sat  for  some  time  smoking  in 
silence  ; then  he  added  : 

“I  was  about  ready  to  tell  her  what  I knew, 
secure  the  paper  and  hand  her  over  to  Osborne  on 
the  day  she  paid  me  the  visit.  But  the  story  she 
told  rather  gave  the  matter  the  air  of  further 
entanglement ; and  so,  to  learn  first  how  deep  was 
the  apparent  involvement  of  Miss  Corbin  and 
Warwick,  I postponed  the  arrest.” 

“ I should  think,  all  things  considered,”  said 
Fuller,  “ that  you’d  be  rather  glad  that  it  hap- 
pened so.” 


ASHTON-KIRK 


332 

“ I am,”  replied  the  secret  agent.  “ She  was 
without  real  guilt.  And,”  with  a nod  to  his  aide, 
the  meaning  of  which  that  young  man  did  not  fail 
to  catch,  “ as  there  are  but  a few  who  are  possessed 
of  the  facts  she  will,  I think,  continue  to  appear 
so.” 


The  other  stories  in  this  series  are  : 

ASHTON-KIRK,  INVESTIGATOR 
ASHTON-KIRK,  SPECIAL  DETECTIVE 
ASHTON-KIRK,  CRIMINOLOGIST 


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Greater  Love  Hath  No  Man.  By  Frank  L.  Packard. 
Greyfriars  Bobby.  By  Eleanor  Atkinson. 

Gun  Brand,  The.  By  James  B.  Hendryx. 

Halcyone.  By  Elinor  Glyn. 

Hand  of  Fu-Manchu,  The.  By  Sax  Rohmer. 

Havoc.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Heart  of  the  Desert,  The.  By  Honore  Willsie. 

Heart  of  the  Hills,  The.  By  John  Fox,  Jr. 


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Heart  of  the  Sunset.  By  Rex  Beach. 

Heart  of  Thunder  Mountain,  The.  By  Edfrid  A.  Bingham. 
Her  Weight  in  Gold.  By  Geo.  B.  McCutcheon. 

Hidden  Children,  The.,  By  Robert  W.  Chambers. 

Hidden  Spring,  The.  By  Clarence  B.  Kelland. 

Hillman,  The.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Hills  of  Refuge,  The.  By  Will  N.  Harben. 

His  Official  Fiancee.  By  Berta  Ruck. 

Honor  of  the  Big  Snows.  By  James  Oliver  Curwood. 
Hopalong  Cassidy.  By  Clarence  E.  Mulford. 

Plound  frofn  the  North,  The.  By  Ridgwell  Cullum. 

House  of  the  Whispering  Pines,  The.  By  Anna  Katharine 
Green. 

Hugh  Wynne,  Free  Quaker.  By  S.  Weir  Mitchell,  M.D. 

I Conquered.  By  Harold  Titus. 

Illustrious  Prince,  The.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

In  Another  GirFs  Shoes.  By  Berta  Ruck. 

Indifference  of  Juliet,  The.  By  Grace  S.  Richmond. 

Infelice.  By  Augusta  Evans  Wilson. 

Initials  Only.  By  Anna  Katharine  Green. 

Inner  Law,  The.  By  Will  N.  Harben. 

Innocent.  By  Marie  Corelli. 

Insidious  Dr.  Fu-Manchu,  The.  By  Sax  Rohmer. 

In  the  Brooding  Wild.  By  Ridgwell  Cullum. 

Intriguers,  The.  By  Harold  Bindloss. 

Iron  Trail,  The.  By  Rex  Beach. 

Iron  Woman,  The.  By  Margaret  Deland. 

I Spy.  By  Natalie  Sumner  Lincoln. 

Japonette.  By  Robert' W.  Chambers. 

Jean  of  the  Lazy  A.  By  B.  M.  Bower. 

Jeanne  of  the  Marshes.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Jennie  Gerhardt.  By  Theodore  Dreiser. 

Judgment  House,  The.  By  Gilbert  Parker. 

Keener  of  the  Door,  The.  By  Ethel  M.  Dell. 

Keith  of  the  Border.  By  Randall  Parrish.  ^ 

Kent  Knowles:  Ouahaucr.  By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln.  ^ 
Kingdom  of  the  Blind,  The.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 


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King  Spruce.  By  Holman  Day. 

King’s  Widow,  The.  By  Mrs.  Baillie  Reynolds. 

Knave  of  Diamonds,  The.  By  Ethel  M.  Dell. 

Ladder  of  Swords.  By  Gilbert  Parker. 

Lady  Betty  Across  the  Water.  By  C.  N.  & A.  M.  William- 
son. 

Land-Girl’s  Love  Story,  A.  By  Berta  Ruck. 

Landloper,  The.  By  Holman  Day. 

Land  of  Long  Ago,  The.  By  Eliza  Calvert  Hall. 

Land  of  Strong  Men,  The.  By  A.  M.  Chisholm. 

Last  Trail,  The.  By  Zane  Grey. 

Laugh  and  Live.  By  Douglas  Fairbanks. 

Laughing  Bill  Hyde.  By  Rex  Beach. 

Laughing  Girl,  The.  By  Robert  W.  Chambers. 

Law  Breakers,  The.  By  Ridgwell  Cullum. 

Lifted  Veil,  The.  By  Basil  King. 

Lighted  Way,  The.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Lin  McLean.  By  Owen  Wister. 

Lonesome  Land.  By  B.  M.  Bower. 

Lone  Wolf,  The.  By  Louis  Joseph  Vance. 

Long  Ever  Ago.  By  Rupert  Hughes. 

Lonely  Stronghold,  The.  By  Mrs.  Baillie  Reynolds. 

Long  Live  the  King.  By  Mary  Roberts  Rinehart. 

Long  Roll,  The.  By  Mary  Johnston. 

Lord  Tony’s  Wife.  By  Baroness  Orczy. 

Lost  Ambassador.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim, 

Lost  Prince,  The.  By  Frances  Hodgson  Burnett. 

Lydia  of  the  Pines.  By  Honore  Willsie. 

Maid  of  the  Forest,  The.  By  Randall  Parrish. 

Maid  of  the  Whispering  Hills,  The.  By  Vingie  E.  Roe. 
Maids  of  Paradise,  The.  By  Robert  W.  Chambers. 

Major,  The.  By  Ralph  Connor. 

Maker  of  History,  A.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 
Malefactor,  The.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Man  from  Bar  20,  The.  By  Clarence  E.  Mulford. 

Man  in  Grey,  The.  By  Baroness  Orczy. 

Man  Trail,  The.  By  Henry  Oyen. 

Man  Who  Couldn’t  Sleep,  The.  By  Arthur  Stringer. 


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Man  with  the  Club  Foot,  The.  By  Valentine  Williams. 
Mary-’Gusta.  By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 

Mary  Moreland.  By  Marie  Van  Vorst. 

Mary  Regan.  By  Leroy  Scott. 

Master  Mummer,  The.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Memoirs  o£  Sherlock  Holmes.  By  A.  Conan  Doyle. 

Men  Who  Wrought,  The.  By  Ridgwell  Cullum. 

Mischief  Maker,  The.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Missioner,  The.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Miss  Million’s  Maid.  By  Berta  Ruck. 

Molly  McDonald.  By  Randall  Parrish. 

Money  Master,  The.  By  Gilbert  Parker. 

Money  Moon,  The.  By  Jeffery  Farnol. 

Mountain  Girl,  The.  By  Payne  Erskine. 

Moving  Finger,  The.  By  Natalie  Sumner  Lincoln. 

Mr.  Bingle.  By  George  Barr  McCutcheon. 

Mr,  Grex  of  Monte  Carlo.  By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Mr.  Pratt.  By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 

Mr.  Pratt’s  Patients,  By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 

Mrs.  Belfame.  By  Gertrude  Atherton. 

Mrs.  Red  Pepper.  By  Grace  S.  Richmond. 

My  Lady  Caprice.  By  Jeffrey  Farnol. 

My  Lady  of  the  North.  By  Randall  Parrish. 

My  Lady  of  the  South.  By  Randall  Parrish. 

Mystery  of  the  Hasty  Arrow,  The.  By  Anna  K.  Green. 

Nameless  Man,  The.  By  Natalie  Sumner  Lincoln. 
Ne’er-Do-Well,  The.  By  Rex  Beach. 

Nest  Builders,  The.  By  Beatrice  Forbes-Robertson  Hale. 
Net,  The.  By  Rex  Beach. 

New  Clarion.  By  Will  N.  Harben. 

Nif;ht  Operator,  The.  By  Frank  L.  Packard. 

Night  Riders,  The.  By  Ridgwell  Cullum. 

Nobody.  By  Louis  Joseph  Vance. 

Okev/ood  of  the  Secret  Service.  By  the  Author  of  “The 
Man  with  the  Club  Foot.” 

One  Way  Trail,  The.  By  Ridgwell  Cullum. 

Onen,  Sesame.  By  Mrs.  Baillie  Reynolds. 

•itherwise  Phyllis.  By  Meredith  Nicholson. 

Outlaw,  The.  By  Jackson  Gregory. 


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